Be the example you preach - COP Tiwaa to police personnel on COVID-19 enforcement

Personnel of the Ghana Police Service have been tasked to serve as good examples in the enforcement of the COVID-19 safety protocols, even as they implement the directive by the president.

COP Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah, who is the Chairperson of the Ghana Police COVID-19 Technical Committee, gave this admonition to personnel of the Service, stressing the incumbency on them to be lighting examples to the public.

“As enforcers, I expect them to also wear their masks before stepping out. It is only a healthy officer who can ensure that the president’s directives of mandatory wearing of face masks among other protocols are respected to the latter,” she said.

COP Maame Yaa Tiwaa, who is also the Director-General of Police Welfare, reminded them that their failure to adhere to the protocols could lead to any of them contracting the virus, which will eventually affect their general outputs at fighting crime.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in his most recent address to the nation on updates taken towards the spread of the coronavirus, tasked the Inspector General of Police to direct his men to enforce the protocols in public.

“The number of patients requiring hospitalisation and intensive care is rising. The number of severe cases, which stood at eighteen (18) a week ago, has increased sharply to one hundred and twenty (120). Two weeks ago, there was no critical case, we now have thirty-three (33) in our treatment facilities,” he said.

He then gave an indication that should the numbers in cases continue to rise, he would be forced to take the country back to the days of partial lockdown.

“We do not want to go back to the days of partial lockdowns, which had a negative impact on our economy and on our way of life. But should that become necessary, i.e., should the number of active cases continues to increase at the current rate, I will have no option but to re-impose these restrictions because it is better to be safe than to be sorry,” he added.