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Opinion: Ghana To Record Huge Number Of COVID-19 Cases After A Partial Lockdown Announcement

By Gideon Ofori
Opinion Opinion: Ghana To Record Huge Number Of COVID-19 Cases After A Partial Lockdown Announcement
MAR 29, 2020 LISTEN

Ghana is about to record huge numbers of COVID-19 infections despite all preventive measures relaid by the president.

The president in his fourth address to the public on measures taken against the spread of the novel coronavirus disease announced partial lockdown where Accra, Kumasi, Obuasi, and Tema were affected.

These are areas in which the pandemic has illuded and recorded most confirming cases apart from mandated quarantine Ghanaian returnees.

The Lockdown according to the directives of the president will be effective on Sunday, 29th March 2020 at exactly 12:00am until the next two weeks.

This has forced most people who habit at the affected areas to evacuate to non-affected regions and towns to shelter themselves with the purpose of escaping the terror of a lockdown.

Since I am situated in the eastern region, I will give you an account base on my observation and why Ghana is about to record huge number of coronavirus disease infections.

About 70% of Ghanaians have their lives in these affected towns. Most of them are not born and raised in these areas but vacates their regions and towns to seek greener pastures and to make a living.

Most of my friends vacates the eastern region to Accra to have a life and are all returning home without being tested nor quarantined.

I live in a compound house made of about six separate families who have their wards living in Accra, Kumasi, and Tema.

Just after the pronouncement of a lockdown by the president, these families called their wards back home without concern of being tested for the coronavirus.

These returnees are welcomed with a hug and handshake gesture by family members at first sight and you can presume how fast they are to spread the virus in case they are careers.

My household has received over six returnees and if each household within my community should record the same number of returnees with at least two careers each, what do you think will happen?

Instead of a partial lockdown, it would have been so right for the government to announce a total and nationwide lockdown or better still embargoed all transport service within the affected areas weeks before the lockdown.

This would have restricted those who reside in these areas from moving to non-affected areas.

Since such measures were not taken by the president, we should all expect a high tally of confirmed cases in the rural areas and other regions apart from the Ashanti and Greater Accra who have already recorded confirm cases.

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