Police officers who contract coronavirus to get ‘special package’ – IGP

Police personnel who contract the deadly coronavirus in the performance of their duties will receive a special package from the Ghana Police Service, the IGP James Oppong-Boanuh has announced.

He, however, did not reveal details of the support which he stated will also be extended to the family members of the affected personnel.

A COVID-19 technical team, he said, has been constituted at the police headquarters in Accra to deal with all matters involving police personnel in relation to the coronavirus, which has so far infected over 2,700 people in the country and killed 18 of them with 297 recoveries.

“To the personnel of the Ghana Police Service who have devoted your lives to help enforce the restrictions or let me say who have risked your lives to ensure that the restrictions are enforced, the Police Service thank you very much for your devotion,” he said.

The IGP said this while launching a Ghana Police-Zoomlion fumigation and disinfection exercise in Accra Wednesday.

The exercise, which kicks off at the Ghana Police Training School at Tesano in Accra, will see the waste management giant, Zoomlion fumigate and disinfect all police facilities and installations across the country against dangerous insects and COVID-19.

COP Oppong-Boanuh said the Police management board appreciates their sacrifices, stating that “appropriate measures have been put in place to support you and prevent you from getting infections and any of you who is infected in the course of your duty”.

The IGP said the COVID-19 technical team will ensure the uniformed men and women will “get maximum support as well as members of your family in this difficult time”.

He suggested some of the about 5000 personnel who were deployed for the anti-COVID-19 lockdown duties in Accra, Tema, Kasoa and Kumasi have been infected by the virus but did not give further details.

“As you are all aware, The Ghana Police Service and other security agencies have partnered the Ghana Health Service as front liners to help fight this pandemic. It is not surprising to have a number of police personnel come in contact with infected persons and also get infected,” he stated.

Meanwhile, the Director-General in charge of General Services at the Ghana Police Service, Mr George Alex Mensah said all police front liners have been tested for the deadly virus but the results are yet to be made available to the police.

“All our front liners have been tested including even those at the headquarters but results are being awaited.

“Those who were on lockdown duties have been tested and the results are being awaited. As at now, we have not received any positive [case] from any of the tests,” he said and noted that those personnel have since resumed their official duties after self-isolation.

Mr Alex Mensah, however, revealed that “almost all the personnel at Adenta Police station where some infected suspects were sent there have been asked to isolate themselves”.

He also said although “there is an administrative package but that cannot be said here”.