Jubilee House Delivers No.13: When would things return to namalcy?

Hail Jubilee House!

And the count continues!

Another one passed through last night and possibly many more would follow suit. It's now accepted to be a new normal and Ghanaians are increasingly becoming used to. It seems we've no choice.

But for how long must we have to wait?

And when would things return to normalcy?

From where I sit, I've no idea. Perhaps until we're able to flatten the curve. Possibly when our efforts to contain and stop the wild beast-- COVID-19 (from running amok) have yielded remarkable results---based on scientific evidence.

Possibly when COVID-19 (to quote the president): "becomes a blip on our forward march to sustained development progress and prosperity."

Not.13 came a day after President Akufo-Addo and his vice president Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia received acclamation as presidential and vice-presidential nominees of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) respectively.

By this popular acclamation, the two will for the second time carry the Elephant's flag and face-off former President John Mahama and his yet-to-be-named running mate (for the NDC) in the December 2020 presidential poll.

Two things stood out in Mr. Akufo-Addo's address which was delivered on Sunday 28 June 2020.

The president addressed two critical issues which are dear to my heart-- health and education.

Former United States President John F. Kennedy said this: "We must find time to stop and thank the people who make a difference in our lives."

Kudos to frontline health workers

And our president has undoubtedly shown a marked gratitude to our health professionals: Mr. Akufo-Addo has extended incentive packages for frontline health workers and also announced the return of Junior High School (JHS) pupils to school. The students have been home since government-imposed restrictions on all public gatherings and closed down all schools and universities in March this year.

I should say these two announcements couldn't have come at a better time. A time that peoples across the world have found themselves at the knife-edge of the insidious virus. And at a time that frontline health workers are sacrificing a lot to save humanity.

From the iconic Jubilee House-- the seat of the presidency Mr. Akufo-Addo said: "All health workers will pay no income taxes for the next three months, i.e. July, August and September. Again, all frontline health workers, as defined by the Ministry of Health, will continue to receive the additional allowance of fifty per cent (50%) of their basic salary per month, i.e. for July, August and September."

The President further noted that the implementation of this directive for the months of April, May and June had been fraught with some challenges, caused, mainly, by the protracted discussions over the definition of who qualifies as “frontline health workers” in this context.

"I have, however, been assured that they have now been resolved, and payments will be affected from the end of June. I should reiterate that the insurance package for health workers is still in place," Mr. Akufo-Addo said.

Admonition

The President, however, urged the frontline health workers to remain professional and compassionate in their handling of COVID-19 cases. "Every avoidable death, be it corona-related or not, is a tragedy."

He, also, reminded Ghanaians to adhere to the COVID-19 protocols i.e. the enhanced social distancing and hygiene protocols which will not only save lives but also prevent the healthcare infrastructure from being overburdened.

"Let's wash our hands with soap under running water, use alcohol-based sanitizers, maintain the protocols on social distancing, avoid person-to-person contact, eat our local foods that boost our immune systems, and, yes, wear masks at all times when we leave our homes.

"These are the weapons of our battle. We must keep our guard up at all times, and see to it that sooner, rather than later, COVID-19 becomes nothing but a blip on our forward march to sustained development, progress and prosperity," Akufo-Addo said.

On education, the president announced the following:

"From, tomorrow, Monday, 29th June 2020, final year Junior High School students, in seventeen thousand, four hundred and thirty-nine (17,439) schools across the country, will return to school to prepare and sit for the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).

They will be the final, and, indeed, the largest batch of students to return to school.

Government is expecting conservatively seven hundred and fifty thousand (750,000) persons, comprising five hundred and thirty-two thousand (532,000) JHS 3 students, and two hundred and eighteen thousand (218,000) teaching and non-teaching staff, and invigilators, to be involved in tomorrow's exercise," he said.

Any protective measures in place? The answer is yes.

To protect the lives of these students, and all other personnel, Government has put in place the relevant measures, in consultation with the Conference of Heads of Basic Schools and Regional and District Directors of Education and Health.

Like Senior High Schools, Universities and other tertiary institutions, who returned to schools on the 15th of this month, all Junior High Schools across the country have been fumigated and disinfected.

Additionally, Government has procured and distributed forty-five thousand (45,000) Veronica Buckets; ninety thousand (90,000) gallons of liquid soap; ninety thousand (90,000) rolls of tissue paper; forty thousand (40,000) thermometer guns; seven hundred and fifty thousand (750,000) pieces of 200mils sanitizers; and 2.2 million reusable facemasks, i.e. three per person, all with the intent of guaranteeing the safety of the students, teaching and non-teaching staff. Two (2) masks each will be delivered tomorrow, and the third within the next two (2) weeks.

Other measures

Through the District Directors of Education and the District Directors of Health, a COVID-19 sensitisation programme will be organized for all headteachers and their teaching staff, from Monday, the first day of school. This will ensure that the dos and don'ts of the protocols are clearly spelt out for the teachers for onward transmission to the students.

JHS 3 students will be in school for eleven (11) weeks of preparation and revision, before spending the following week to take the BECE. There will be no more than thirty (30) students in a class, and there will be a reduced school day, with students reporting to school at 9am, and closing at 1pm.

No breaks outside the classroom will be permitted; assemblies and sporting events are banned; the use by outsiders of school premises for religious and other activities will not be allowed.

As is the case for the other educational institutions, each basic school has been mapped to a health facility, and care will be provided to the sick in these health facilities by nurses assigned to these schools.

"I assure all parents and guardians that Government will not put the lives of seven hundred and fifty thousand (750,000) students, teachers and non- teaching staff, who will be returning to school from tomorrow, at risk. We have made all the required provisions to protect them whilst in school," he gave the assurance.

By Gordon Offin-Amaniampong