Coronavirus: NDC calls on government to close down schools

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) on Monday called on the Government to close down schools reopened recently to help contain the spread of the COVID-19.

It said 10 more Senior High Schools had recorded cases of COVID-19, stressing that Nigeria, a major participant in the WASSCE, had rescinded its decision to reopen schools, while Kenya had also closed down schools until 2021.

Mr Sammy Gyamfi, the NDC National Communications Officer, said this at the Seventh Edition of the Party’s weekly press briefing in Accra.

“We also appeal to government to urgently, in view of the high infection rate among health professionals, provide the required type and number of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for health workers,” he said.

“As a matter of fact, government must heed to calls to revise its conceptualization of frontline health workers, and immediately provide the required PPE to aid our health workers in combating the virus.”

Mr Gyamfi said the need for the adequate provision of PPE for health workers must be situated within the work of a bipartisan committee, because the country could no longer allow them to get infected and die.

He urged government to review the new discharge and recovery policy that allowed positive cases to be discharged just after one test.

He stressed that the new policy, which appeared to be shoring up the recovery cases, was creating a false sense of security amongst the public.

“We call for the immediate adoption of mass and efficient testing regime to be able to go after the virus. Our current reactionary approach to the virus is actually what is precipitating its further rapid spread”, he said.

“We further call for the establishment of more isolation centres by the government to effectively manage the rising number of positive cases.”

Mr Gyamfi urged government to enhance its contact tracing by paying all outstanding allowances to motivate the team to work harder, adding; “The virus has overtaken us and if we must get ahead of it, then we ought to run faster and be proactive”.

He urged government to intensify public awareness on the disease through mass, purposeful and deliberate public education to awaken the citizenry on the reality of the virus, which had claimed lives.

“We urged the government to ensure accountability in the expenditure of COVID-19 funds, calling for a special and forensic audit into all already expended funds as a matter of urgency,” he added.