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COVID-19: Ras Mubarak warns against lockdown

Social News COVID-19: Ras Mubarak warns against lockdown
JAN 17, 2021 LISTEN

Outgone Member of Parliament for Kumbungu, Ras Mubarak has written an open letter to President Akufo-Addo ahead of the nation address on the country’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic later tonight.

The former legislator in his letter expressed worry over the increasing spate of infections and warned against the imposition of another lockdown as a means to tackle the situation.

He admitted that, although the Ghanaians continue to grapple with the virus, it will be extremely difficult for them to survive a second lockdown should it be imposed by the government.

“Majority of our countrymen and women cannot afford to live under a lockdown again. It will increase crime and destroy our society than the virus would. Some category of Ghanaians can afford to survive a lockdown, but many of our people up and down the country cannot,” he stressed.

But Mr. Mubarak hurriedly advised the government to among other things institute measures aimed at stemming the rising Coronavirus cases.

“Given the serious nature of the pandemic and its consequences on our country, we need to focus on prevention by increasing public education and enforcing laws on the wearing of nose masks and other health safety protocols. Finally, there is little or no public discourse on vaccination. The silence is deafening. As a matter of public health policy, is Ghana for or against mass vaccination. If we are against immunization, what are the alternatives? And if we are for it, what are our targets, and what shape and form will a rollout take and timelines”, he added.

Akufo-Addo will later tonight [Sunday, January 17, 2020] present his 22nd update on the government's enhanced responsive measures to help manage the pandemic in Ghana.

The address comes at a time when grave concerns have been raised about the surge in the number of infections which has been attributed to the laxity in the adherence to safety measures among the public. Below is the open letter

Open Letter to President Akufo-Addo

Dear Mr. President,

May I share these few thoughts as you prepare for your update number 22 on measures taken against the COVID-19 pandemic. Like many Ghanaians, I am worried about the spike in cases of the coronavirus in our country.

As worrying as these increasing cases are, we have to do everything within our means to ensure it does not take more lives, push our health sector to the brink of collapse and ravage our economy more than it already has.

But the measures we take must not, for the love of God and country, include locking down, as has been suggested by some experts.

Majority of our countrymen and women cannot afford to live under a lockdown again. Majority of our compatriots will not survive a lockdown. It will increase crime and destroy our society than the virus would.

Thousands of infectious disease epidemiologists and public health scientists, from both the left and right and around the world, through the Great Barrington Declaration, have expressed grave concerns about the damaging physical and mental health impacts of the prevailing COVID-19 policies.

Mr. President, in that declaration, these scientists have underscored lockdown policies as “producing devastating effects” on working-class and youth populations “on short and long-term public health.”

Some category of Ghanaians can afford to survive a lockdown, but many of our people up and down the country cannot.

Sadly, we have not put in place adequate measures where food banks can be set up and help sent to those who need it the most in a dignified manner.

Given the serious nature of the pandemic and its consequences on our country, we need to focus on prevention by increasing public education and enforcing laws on the wearing of nose masks and other health safety protocols.

Finally, there is little or no public discourse on vaccination. The silence is deafening. As a matter of public health policy, is Ghana for or against mass vaccination. If we are against immunization, what are the alternatives? And if we are for it, what are our targets, and what shape and form will a roll outtake and timelines.

We are in this together, Mr. President. The virus does not know colour, class or creed. I implore my fellow Ghanaians to heed calls to protect themselves, their loved ones and other fellow Ghanaians.

Yours sincerely,

Ras Mubarak.

NTHC Estate,

Accra

— citinewsroom

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