Negative perception hindering fight against coronavirus

Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), on Tuesday said the low risk perception of some Ghanaians about the COVID-19 pandemic was posing a great challenge towards efforts to winning the fight.

Currently in most communities across the country, people were simply refusing to strictly adhere to preventive measures such as regular handwashing with soap under running water and mandatory wearing of face masks while social distancing was totally being disregarded, he said.

There were also all sorts of myths and misconceptions surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, while stigma was making it difficult for some people to admit the fact that the virus was real and, therefore, must adhere to the safety measures to prevent further spread.

Dr Kuma-Aboagye, who was speaking at the Minister’s press briefing in Accra, advised the public to be responsible in their actions, while strictly observing all the preventive and safety protocols not only for their own health but also that of others.

He called for the need to step-up all workplace protocols, especially the wearing of nose masks, regular hand washing, the cleansing of door knobs and other surfaces, and strictly observing the social distancing rule to protect the working community from contracting the disease.

“We need to improve the way we observe these etiquettes,” Dr Kuma-Aboagye said.

Giving a situational update of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ghana, he said there were still spikes of the epidemic within some districts in regions such as the Greater Accra, Ashanti, Central and Western.

However, the GHS and its teams were working hard to identify these hotspots, closely monitor them and quickly isolate cases, trace contacts, test and treat to prevent further spread.

Again, responding to questions on whether there was the possibility of a lockdown in those areas, he said all cards were still on the table and should there be the need for such an action, government would not hesitate to do so.