Coronavirus: Allow a lockdown that matches our context – Analyst to govt

Following the gradual rise of coronavirus cases confirmed for Ghana, an International Law and Governance analyst says it is imperative that government must allow a lockdown that is defined and matches our context.

According to Kwame Mfodwo, a lockdown is rather inevitable but the nation can’t afford to go into one now comparing the nature of our current state, adding that, we can’t maintain it for more than three days or a week.

“A lockdown is inevitable. The key issue is that we have to allow a lockdown that is defined and matches our context. We can’t go into lockdown now in our current state because we can’t maintain it for more than three days or a week. People don’t have food and they will starve,” Mfodwo said on Citi TV’s Point of View on March 24.

Mfodwo however suggests that should the state institute a long-term lockdown for one month or six weeks, it should rather be done intermittently and improve on it to make it sustainable.

“People live in compound houses and share facilities in Ghana, what would a lockdown mean to them? Have we thought about them or educated them? One problem facing us is that people survive on a daily basis so if we are going to lock them down, they are going to starve unless you have a proper set of back up measures to get them resources. No one is going to be able to store food for the next six weeks because we’ve got electricity and water problems. The government also has to work out a way of finding some form of income support for people to prepare for a lockdown,” he explained.

Meanwhile, some citizens including workers and trade unions are calling for a possible lockdown to reduce the spread of the coronavirus to prevent a community spread.

In a statement sent to President Akufo-Addo, the Trade Union Congress (TUC) said only workers performing essential services should be allowed to work, but should be adequately protected from infection.

Ghana has so far recorded 52 cases of COVID-19 with two deaths.