Tamale, April 02, GNA – Some residents in the Tamale Metropolis have expressed fear of a possible lockdown and its effects on business activities after the region confirmed 10 cases of COVID-19.
They expressed fear of the possible transmission of the disease by the 10 infected persons to other citizens, and called for effective contact tracing to identify more people on the line of the 10 cases.
The residents expressed these concerns to the Ghana News Agency in Tamale when the Agency sought their reactions on the 10 confirmed cases of COVID-19 recently recorded in the Northern Region.
They suggested among other things the deportation of the affected persons to their home country for treatment since all the 10 cases were foreign citizens.
They further called for the need to strengthen monitoring and closure of all major entry points into the region, and to Tamale in particular.
The Ghana Health Service (GHS) on its designated COVID-19 portal on Sunday, 29 March, 2020 confirmed 11 more cases of COVID-19, with 10 of the cases coming from Tamale, the capital of the Northern Region.
The 10 patients, who are from Guinea, travelled through Burkina Faso and Togo to Ghana, and were picked up from their hiding place following intelligence reports.
Mr Lukman Mahami Adams, Unemployed, express fear and panic, saying “I fear we might go under lockdown for long like kumasi and Accra. It can also claim lives of loved ones”.
He said he has therefore resorted to practicing social distancing among others as part of the safety precautionary measures against the disease.
Ms Samira Adam, a student from University Development Studies, Nyankpala Campus said generally, the number of cases recorded in the country was overwhelming, and suggested mass screening and testing for the disease.
“A whole village can be affected if one person gets infected, considering the large numbers of households in the region, especially in the villages”.
Mr Mohammed Nasir-Deen Chelpang Abdul-Razak, a Post-Graduate Student at KNUST, expressed worry at the situation saying, “I am afraid because majority of our citizens in Tamale have no formal education and are less informed about the whole COVID-19 issue”.
He, however, said he had resolved to stay indoors and also adhere to the safety precautionary practices against the disease.
Mr Tuarik Alhassan, a Nutritionist expressed shock at the sudden recorded cases in the region. “I am worried for myself and others, because the movements in Tamale town does not seem there is anything happening, and to my thinking, community spread will be catastrophic” he added.
He advised residents to avoid handshakes, practice social distancing and proper hand washing as precautionary measures against the disease.
GNA