Coronavirus: Police to start arresting and prosecuting people without nose mask - Health Minister hints

The Minister of Health Kwaku Agyemang-Manu has hinted that as a way of stopping the spread of COVID-19 in the country, the Ghana Police Service will soon start arresting and prosecuting persons who will be spotted in the open without wearing a nose mask.

Speaking at this morning’s Minister's Press Briefing, the Health Minister said while the threat of the Coronavirus spreading still exists, the precautions needed to stop its spread remain simple and should not be a problem for people to follow.

"They (the safety protocols) are not difficult to do so I don't understand why some of us do not do these things. We have been thinking about what to do next to enforce strict compliance with these basic guidelines, we are working on that and believe very soon we will see the police arresting some of us who are becoming too recalcitrant."

According to the minister, the arrest of such individuals will likely be followed by their prosecution which will see them spend some time in jail to serve as a deterrent to others.

Government, over the days, have been on a campaign to get Ghanaians to adhere to safety protocols outlined for the prevention of the spread of COVID-19.

The protocols which include the wearing of nose masks has seen some institutions such as banks enforcing a "no mask no entry" policy on their premises.

During this morning’s press conference by the Ministry of Information, Dr Badu Sarkodie of the Ghana Health Service while giving an update on the country's COVID-19 case count, revealed the total number of confirmed cases to be 5,530 while recoveries and deaths stood at 674 and 24 respectively.