Coronavirus: Surge in cases not surprising – GMA

The President for the Ghana Medical Association (GMA), Dr. Frank Ankobea, says the surge in Ghana’s Coronavirus cases is not surprising looking at the total disregard for the safety protocols by the general public.

Ghana’s active coronavirus cases as of Monday, January 11, 2021, was 1,261. The death toll has been pegged at to 338.

Dr. Frank Ankobea, who spoke in an interview with the host of Atinka FM’s AM Drive Ekourba Gyasi, explained that the disregard for the Covid-19 safety protocols is alarming and poses more danger to the general public.

According to him, persons in nose masks are rather being heckled by their colleagues who are of the belief that the covid-19 virus is out of the county.

“We are experiencing the consequences of the total disregard for the safety protocols before and after the festive season. People have stopped practicing the social distancing and the handwashing practice unlike before. People place empty veronica buckets in public places,” he said.

Meanwhile, the President of the Republic of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, addressing the general public in the 20th Covid-19 update, called for full compliance of the COVID-19 safety protocols ahead of the festive season.

He mentioned that that generally, the compliance of the Covid-19 safety protocols have reduced.

“I urge all of us to err on the side of caution. If you’ve to host social gatherings this festive season, the science suggests it is best to do so outdoors with all Covid protocols observed”, he said.

Commenting on the Covid-19 vaccine, Akufo-Addo noted that Government will ensure covid vaccines come to Ghana and that there will be measures to ensure the vaccines are safe.

This assurance by the president follows the approval of Moderna by the US government as the country’s second Covid-19 vaccine, clearing the way for millions of doses to be released.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorised the US-made jab about a week after approving a Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine which is now being distributed.