'Let your relatives from lockdown districts report to nearest health facilities' - Nzema East MCE directs

Correspondence from Western Region

The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Nzema East Municipality of the Western Region, Hon. Frank Okpenyen has issued a directive to existing residents in the municipality to ask their relatives from the lockdown districts in Greater Accra and Kumasi to report themselves to the nearest health facilities for advice.

His directive follows President Akufo-Addo's announcement of the partial shutdown of some districts within Kumasi and Greater Accra Region as part of the preventive measures put in place to fight the deadly Coronavirus pandemic outbreak.

In a national address on Friday night, the President said: “This, in essence, means that everyone resident in these areas must stay at home for the next two weeks”.

In an exclusive interview to confirm the directive, the MCE told GhanaWeb's Western Regional Correspondent Daniel Kaku that the Nzema East Municipal Task Force against COVID-19 had directed all Assembly Members and Chiefs to as a matter of urgency communicate to their people who might receive relatives or visitors from the lockdown areas to comply with the directive.

"This is what we have communicated to the Chiefs and their Assembly Members in the municipality to do, Nzema East Municipal Task force against Covid-19 are by this notice directing all assembly members and Chiefs to communicate to their people who may receive relatives or visitors from the lockdown towns to first report to the nearest Health facility for direction", he stated.

He added that they had asked the various health professionals to advise any visitor to adhere to the self quarantine directives.

He emphasized that after they (visitors) had observed the mandatory 14 day self-quarantine, health assistants designated would be following up for further checks.

"Besides, we have sent messages to our health staff to advise such visitors to adhere to self quarantine directives whilst they live with the family. After the mandatory 14 days, Health Assistants designated will be following up for further checks if the need be", he disclosed to Daniel Kaku.

Asking whether the security agencies will support this directive, the MCE said the security agencies were part of the Nzema East Coronavirus Committee adding that the security agencies would liaise with other stakeholders to make sure anybody flouts the directive.

He, therefore, seized the opportunity to advise his people to stay home and wash their hands frequently.

He concluded that, "We have also commissioned radio announcements to the effect that no new tenants should be given accommodation till the pandemic eases for there are immigrants from neighbouring countries seeking accommodation".

Ghana has so far recorded 152 confirmed cases with 5 deaths as of Sunday, March 29, 2020.