As COVID-19 Hits Police Cells, Greater Accra Police Contract Zoomlion For Major Disinfection

Some inmates in police cells in the Greater Region have tested positive for coronavirus, the head of the regional command has disclosed.

DCOP Fred Adu-Anim told journalists Saturday that the undisclosed number of inmates have since been sent to an isolation centre also in Accra.

"We have tested some of them (policemen) and we are waiting for the results," he told the media during the disinfection, fumigation, and general clean up exercise at the Greater Accra Regional Police HQ.

Police and waste management giants, Zoomlion Ghana Limited have partnered for a major project aimed at keeping police facilities clean.

Dubbed ‘Police-Zoomlion National Disinfection and Fumigation Exercise,’ it was launched at the National Police Training School, Tesano, Accra, on Wednesday, and would also ensure the cleaning of surroundings of all police training schools (depots), police stations, barracks and their markets, offices, cells among other facilities.

Some 1,249 police stations across the 16 regions and Tema, and 6 training schools in Accra, Kumasi, Koforidua, Winneba, Ho and Bolga will be covered under the project.

Commenting on Saturday's exercise at the Greater Accra Police HQ, head of Corporate Communication for Jospong, owners of Zoomlion, Sophia Lissah, said the disinfection project for the police installations was critical because the servicemen are among the frontline workers in the fight against the coronavirus in Ghana.

"Greater Accra Region has 14 divisions and this is one of them. Today all the divisions are undertaking this exercise but the disinfestation is happening at just this centre where we have the cells, the striking force etc...but then the other areas will be scheduled for next week, Sophia Lissah said.

"The police project is quite unique because aside from the officers themselves, you realise that they are all together - the police, the inmates at cells, the family (of the police) they all live together in one community so if one has it, it becomes a bit pricey; you can't tell what will happen so it is key for us that as we are doing this, we are looking at all the people here," she said.

Zoomlion Ghana Limited and the police service have partnered for numerous clean-up exercises across the country with overwhelming outcomes.