Easter: Police intensify visibility along beaches

The police have intensified visibility along beaches in Accra to ensure adherence to closure directives to contain the spread of COVID-19 during the Easter holidays.

Superintendent Alfred Kudah, Police Commander for Mamprobi/Chorkor, said a patrol team was deployed at 0500 hours to the beaches to enforce the directives.

He said at about 1100 hours on Good Friday, some people thronged the beaches necessitating police reinforcement to “clear the areas”.

“Around 11 am, the numbers were becoming uncontrollable so we had to call for a reinforcement of more personnel to be able to make our operation successful,” he said.

Superintendent Kudah said some policemen were stationed at the beach areas to ensure an effective all time round supervision.

He said the coastal stretch was divided into three police districts -the Korlebu, Mamprobi- Chorkor and Dansoman districts, headed by Police Commanders with every patrol group comprising five personnel. That, he said, made their “work fairly flexible”.

He noted that the only challenges they encountered was the non- compliance of some residents of the area “due to their way of life”.

“But they were finally made to comply”.

At the F33hi valley beach at Korle- Gonno, the Ghana News Agency (GNA) observed that some customers came to patronise restaurant services and observing the protocols.

Whilst some sat at the restaurant to eat and have fun, most of them picked take-away packages and left.

A staff who pleaded anonymity told GNA that due to the restrictions as a result of the pandemic, patronage was low.

“Two years ago, the numbers here during the Easter festive season was voluminous. Some had to even wait outside because the whole place was filled up with people.

“Because of the pandemic, people do not come in often. Most of those who come in too prefer take away packages,” she said.

The GNA also observed that a few people sat at some pubs, though the pubs were not working.