Coronavirus: Ghana lifts partial lockdown on some cities, urban centres despite spike in cases

20 Avril 2020

Accra, Ghana, April 20 (Infosplusgabon) - Ghana's president Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has lifted a three-week old partial lockdown on three cities and two townships to contain the COVID-19 (coronavirus) despite a spike in confirmed cases to 1,042 from 824.

But he warned that "whenever the situation so warrants, a community in which the virus is identified as becoming prevalent will be locked down".

The government imposed the partial lockdown on the capital, Accra, the eastern seaport of Tema, Ashaiman township near Tema, Kasoa township near Accra and Kumasi, the second biggest city.

In his seventh broadcast on Sunday night in the wake on the spread of the virus President Akufo-Addo said since it was first detected in Ghana, the authorities have traced some 86,000 contacts and results of 68,591 are available.

Out of this number, 1,042 persons, or 1.5%, have been confirmed as positive, 99 persons have recovered and nine have died.

President Akufo-Addo said several factors influenced the decision to lift the ban effective 01:00 hours on Monday.

They include the authorities' ability to undertake aggressive contact tracing of infected persons, enhancement of the capacity to test, expansion in the numbers of treatment and isolation centres and better understanding of the dynamism of the virus.

Other reasons as the ramping up of domestic capacity to produce personal protective equipment, sanitisers and medicines, the modest successes chalked at containing the spread of the virus in Accra and Kumasi, and the severe impact on the poor and vulnerable.

"I must make it clear, at the outset, that lifting these restrictions does not mean we are letting our guard down. All other measures are still firmly in place," the president said.

These include closure of the borders, suspension of all public gatherings, including conferences, workshops, funerals, parties, nightclubs, drinking spots, beaches, festivals, political rallies, religious activities and sporting events remain in place.

"All educational facilities, private and public, are to remain closed. Businesses and other workplaces can continue to operate, observing staff management and workplace protocols with the view to achieving social distancing and hygiene protocols."

President Akufo-Addo urged the population to adhere to social distancing protocols and to stay at home – unless absolutely necessary to go out - and wear face masks in public places.

He thanked  healthcare workers, the security services, and the media, for their work in helping to combat the spread of the virus.

The president also thanked individuals and organisations who have contributed to the COVID-19 National Trust Fund.

He said the Government has introduced the use of drones to expedite the transportation of samples to laboratory centres while rapid results testing is being introduced to augment surveillance and enhanced contact tracing efforts.

FIN/INFOSPLUSGABON/ASD/GABON2020

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