Accra, April 24, GNA – There is the need for intensified education on the prevention of COVID-19, following the lifting of the three-week lockdown by the Government, says Dr Benjamin Anyagre, Chairman of Kwame Nkrumah Ideological Institute.
This increased public education should be done by government agencies alone and through religious platforms, workplace platforms, and other groups and organisations.
Dr Anyagre told the Ghana News Agency that with a large percentage of the country’s population being in the informal sector, a continued period of being strictly locked down “means hunger for those who can only earn from their daily sales”.
He said extreme hunger and need could also create other problems.
Dr. Anyagre said it was understandable, for the government to decide to lift the lockdown, while putting in other measures to curtail the COVID-19 pandemic.
He said it was important to fight the pandemic from the perspective of a developing country, and emulate best practices from countries that successfully dealt with the pandemic.
The outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic brought out a defect in the country’s social welfare system, he said.
“If we had a strong social welfare system, the government would have gotten the data for the support of vulnerable people, and we could have had several months of lock-down, towards fighting the pandemic,” he added.
Dr. Anyagre observed that it was important in future, to take a look at aspects of the socio-economic parlance like social welfare system, to be well prepared for unforeseen events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
Following the lifting of the three-week lockdown in Greater Accra and Greater Kumasi, several organisations and individuals have expressed concern over the decision.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, in announcing the decision, stressed that whilst the move was the result of modest successes chalked at containing the spread of the virus in Accra and Kumasi, and the severe impact of the lockdown on the poor and vulnerable, government demanded even greater adherence to laid down preventive measures.
He mentioned observance of social distancing by individuals and regular washing of hands and use of sanitizers, the suspension of all public gatherings, conferences, workshops, religious gatherings, political rallies, sporting events, and all other similar gatherings.
The President also reminded public transport operators to run with a minimum number of passengers and observe conditions of enhanced hygiene. He also urged domestic airlines to adhere to the same principles.
The disease which begun in Wuhan in China last Christmas, has spread to over 180 countries world-wide, infecting more than two million people and killing more than 160,000 as a result.
Ghana has so far recorded over 1,200 cases, with 10 deaths, and 134 recoveries.
GNA