Impose 21-day nationwide lockdown – BPS to Akufo-Addo

The Bureau of Public Safety has called on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to impose 21-day nationwide lockdown to slow the spread of the deadly Coronavirus.

COVID-19 cases in Ghana on Saturday jumped to 566 from 408. The development means over 150 cases have been recorded over the last 24 hours.

Of the 566 confirmed COVID-19 cases, 292 were reported from the routine surveillance, 159 from enhanced surveillance activities and 115 from travellers under mandatory quarantine in both Accra and Tamale.

Regions that have reported cases are Greater Accra, Ashanti, Central, Eastern, Western, Volta, Northern, North East, Upper East, and Upper West”.

In a statement, the Bureau of Public Safety said the lockdown currently imposed on Accra and Kumasi must be extended to the entire nation with more enhanced tracing and testing.

Below is the full statement

GHANA MUST GET AHEAD OF COVID-19

Having keenly followed events in the last couple of days regarding the State’s effort to contain the nCov-19 pandemic, the Bureau of Public Safety expresses deep concern that if the President and the Response Team do not take further bold and radical steps, all the good efforts applied will come to nought and eventually our country will be consumed by this ravaging novel virus.

We, therefore, wish to call on the government to consider the following urgently:

1. Impose a 21-day lockdown/restricted movement across all sixteen regions.

2. Gear up tracing and testing capacity and effort.

3. Apply more efforts at education and effective monitoring of traced contacts and suspected cases to minimize frequent escapes from the isolation centre and enhance compliance to medical advise

4. Expand testing sites across all 16 regions within the shortest possible time.

Indeed, we are inspired by the periodic updates of the president, however, announced actions as contained in update no. 6 regarding lockdown/restricted movements and the overall appreciation of data regarding the emergence or spread of infections across the country gives us every cause to worry.

We, therefore, urge all Ghanaians to join us in the call for the extension of restricted movements across the country and support Government in these trying times.

We further call on all citizens and residents to comply with the directives on the restriction of movements; as our collective discipline remain key in this fight against the nCov-19.

We encourage the men and officers in the law enforcement front to demonstrate tact and professionalism at all times in their enforcement duties.

Indeed, these are not pleasant times and lockdowns/restrictions are costly both to the individual, business and the State, but the alternative is a disaster that is even more costly.

The Bureau would like to commend the President for the various business and social interventions introduced thus far.

It is our hope that these interventions will be applied efficiently to alleviate the sufferings of the masses and shocks to organizations.

God bless our motherland.