Police arrest persons without nose mask in Tamale

Correspondence from Northern Region:

President Nana Akufo Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in his 22nd state of the nation address directed the Police to arrest all people who flout the coronavirus protocols.

“I have instructed the inspector general of police to direct officers, men, and women of the Ghana police service to ensure the rigorous enforcement of the law on mask-wearing at all public places and in public transport," stated.

Ghana Police Service in Tamale, on January 21, 2021, started effecting arrest on persons who default the nose masks-wearing directive.

This arrest was particularly made on persons plying the Sara junction road stretching through the Tamale Police Station, without having the mask on.

Speaking to Ghanaweb's Northern Regional Correspondent, Abdul Rashid, the Regional Crime Officer, Supt Bernard Baba Ananga said the police are to ensure people comply with the president's directive on wearing face mask.

He added that the high level of non-compliance of the safety protocols is what has led to the surging of COVID-19 infections in the country, and so they want to ensure people take their health seriously.

"One may be having it (Covid 19) and symptoms may not be showing and when they go out and are not complying with the directives, they spread the disease."

Supt Bernard stressed that they will go anywhere, any length, where possible to ensure people comply with the protocols including the market.

"We will soon move in there," He said.

He also indicated that those who were arrested were not put in a cell; they were kept in the open space to be interrogated, and for investigations to commence.

He, therefore, appealed to the general public to adhere to the directive by always putting on the mask whenever they are moving out.