The president in his address to the nation on Sunday January 17 said in order to avoid the closure of schools again in future, all the stakeholders will have to comply with the protocols outlined to tackle the virus.
He further said said he does not intend to lockdown the country again due to the coronavirus.
However, he said, if the number of active cases keep rising, he will have not option but to impose the restrictions on movement of persons in parts of the country as part of measure to contain the virus.
In April last year, Mr Akufo-Addo placed restrictions in the movement of persons in Accra and Kumasi for three weeks, as part of measures to contain the virus.
The restrictions were lifted after the president said it was safe to do so.
Following the rise in the active cases lately, Mr Akufo-Addo said on Sunday January 17, 2020 that if need be, he will partially lockdown the country again.
“We do not want to go back to the days of partial lockdowns, which had a negative impact on our economy and our way of life. But should that becoming necessary, ie., should the number of active cases continue to increase at the current rate, I will have no option but to re-impose these restrictions because it is better to be safe than to be sorry. So together, let us all ensure that we respect the protocols,” he said.
He further instructed the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to ensure that Ghanaians strictly comply with the face mask wearing law.
This comes after the president expressed worry over the increasing number of the active cases of the coronavirus in the country.
Mr Akufo-Addo in address to the nation on Sunday said that some arriving passengers at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) have tested positive for the new variance of the coronavirus.
He revealed that these persons have been isolated.
“Recent genomic sequencing undertaken by our scientists have established that some arriving passengers tested positive for new variants of COVID-19. These passengers have all been isolated.
“Furthermore, work is ongoing to determine the presence and extent of spread of the new variants in the general population,” Mr Akufo-Addo said.
Mr Akufo-Addo further expressed worry over the increasing number of active coronavirus cases in the country lately.
“The number of patients requiring hospitalisation and intensive care is rising. The number of severe cases, which stood at eighteen (18) a week ago, has increased sharply to one hundred and twenty (120). Two weeks ago, there was no critical case, we now have thirty-three (33) in our treatment facilities,” he added.
“Again, according to statistics from the Ghana Health Service, the considerable number of persons who are severely ill are, surprisingly, relatively youthful persons, with no previous underlying health conditions.”
“Two weeks ago, there was no critical case, we now have thirty-three (33) in our treatment facilities,” he said.
He added “Again, according to statistics from the Ghana Health Service, the considerable number of persons who are severely ill are, surprisingly, relatively youthful persons, with no previous underlying health conditions.”
By Laud Nartey|3news.com|Ghana
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