NDC calls for lockdown amid coronavirus fears in the Eastern Region

The Akim Abuakwa North Deputy Communication Director of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Alhaji Abdul Wahab Ahmed, has called on President Akufo-Addo to lockdown the Eastern Region with immediate effect to curtail the contagion in Ghana.

According to him, unhealthy lifestyles adopted by some foreigners and indigenes of the region indicates that Coronavirus could soon take over the region hence prompting the party to make such calls.

Alhaji Wahab commended Akufo-Addo’s directive for a partial lockdown but said it’s not enough.

"We acknowledge the current advice the government has given on social distancing but in our view, this is not stringent enough. There should be a total lockdown to prevent the spread of the deadly COVID-19,” said Alhaji Abdul Wahab.

He stressed that residents of Accra have flooded major hotels and compound houses within Koforidua and its environs thus exposing indigenes of the region to the novel coronavirus.

“Can you believe that most hotels in Koforidua, Nkawkaw and towns in Eastern Region are full to the brim amid fears of coronavirus. Ever since the president announced the partial lockdown last Friday we noticed that hundreds of people from Accra were thronging the region [Eastern Region] to hide in our hotels and compound houses to carry out their daily activities causing our population to increase and also exposing us to the contagion.

“The most worrying factor about this whole thing is that our sources indicates that our hospitals are getting full as the day passes by and there are two suspected cases of coronavirus in the region. Mr. President please lockdown Eastern Region because our bars, pubs and clubs are still operating fulltime with several persons from Accra patronizing the aforementioned places and also dance with our locals at night causing us to worry about the spread of Coronavirus within the region.”

Meanwhile, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Friday, March 27, 2020, addressed the nation on measures taken by government to cut down the spread of the deadly coronavirus in the country.

As part of the measures, the President ordered the lockdown of some major cities in the country which took effect on Monday, March 30, 2020.

The affected cities were Accra and Tema in the Greater Accra region as well as Kumasi and Obuasi in the Ashanti region.

The President said, “The oath of office I swore on February 2017 demands that I dedicate myself to the service of Ghanaian people. It is my job to protect you and I am determined to do just that. All that the government is doing is seeking to achieve five targets….we have succeeded in stopping the importation of the disease into the country.”

“However, prevailing circumstances mean stricter measures need to be put in place to stop the spread of the virus in-country in Accra, Tema, Kasoa and Kumasi,” he added.