MPs who fail to test for coronavirus will be sanctioned - Speaker

Speaker of Parliament Rt Hon Prof Michael Aaron Oquaye has cautioned Members of Parliament and staff of the Parliamentary Service who have not gone through the test for COVID-19 to do so when the mandatory mass testing in Parliament restart from Thursday, 28th May to Friday, 29th May 2020.

The first round of testing for COVID-19 in Parliament ended last week.

According to the Speaker any MP or staff of Parliament who fails to go through the mandatory test will be sanctioned.

He was however not specific about the kind of sanction to be meted out to MPs or staff of Parliament who will flout his directive.

Rt Hon Prof Michael Aaron Oquaye said the mandatory test for COVID-19 also covers the Parliamentary press corps.

He, therefore, urged members of the press corps to avail themselves for the test to know their status.

He said the exercise is being carried out in the collective interest of the legislature of the country.

The Speaker of Parliament directed that all members and staff of the House be tested for coronavirus.

In his welcome address as Parliament resumed sitting Tuesday, Prof Mike Aaron Oquaye assured members and all staff that the necessary steps will be taken to protect them.

“In addition to observing the established protocols, I have directed the Clerk and parliament’s medical officers to immediately conduct tests for all honorable members and staff of the parliamentary service for COVID-19,” Prof Oquaye said.

Before the House went on recess, 15 Members of Parliament and staff were placed under self-quarantine after they returned from an official trip abroad.

They included 10 Members of Parliament and five staff of the Parliamentary Service.

It is not known if any of them were tested during the period or if any of them contracted the disease.

The Speaker said while there is no approved vaccine, it was important to “adhere to all laid down hygiene protocols to abate the spread.

“These include washing of hands with soap under running water, cleaning of hands with clean disposable paper, application of approved hand sanitizers, wearing of approved masks while in public and observing social distancing which are requisites for keeping us safe,” he directed.