The lifting of the lock-down, which residents were subjected to on Monday April 20 due to the corona virus, christened ‘COVID-19’, has been greeted with several misgivings by the general public.
Those expressing misgivings do not understand why when Ghana’s cases of COVID-19 were below 100, we locked down parts of two regions, Greater Accra and Greater Kumasi, but when Ghana’s cases surged to 1,042 [as at Sunday, April 19], the lock-down was lifted.
This came as a surprise to many Ghanaians moment after President Akufo-Addo in his seventh address to the nation on measures put in place to combat the spread and fight or contain COVID-19, pronounced an end to a three-week partial lock-down imposed on some parts of the country.
The President during the televised address on the night of Sunday April 19 explained to the entire nation that the decision was influenced by several factors, including Ghana’s ability to undertake aggressive contact tracing, an enhanced capacity to test, expansion of the number of treatment and isolation centres as well as the impact of the virus on the poor and vulnerable in the affected areas.
For the avoidance of doubt, let me repeat what the President said during the address.
“Fellow Ghanaians, in view of our ability to undertake aggressive contact tracing of infected persons, the enhancement of our capacity to test, the expansion in the numbers of our treatment and isolation centres, our better understanding of the dynamism of the virus, the ramping up of our domestic capacity to produce our own personal protective equipment, sanitizers 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 have taken the decision to lift the three (3) week old restriction on movements in the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area and Kasoa, and the Greater Kumasi Metropolitan Area and its contiguous districts, with effect from 1am on Monday, 20th April. In effect, tomorrow will see the partial lock-down in Accra and Kumasi being lifted”.
Moment after the announcement, both the social and traditional media were flooded with series of conspiracy theories, allegations and what could possibly be the reasons why the President and the government curtailed the lock-down.
While majority were of the view that Ghana has not been able to contain the virus to warrant lifting of lock-down in these two regions, others were of the view that the lock-down should have been extended to even other regions to enable the health workers contain the virus.
Some were of the view that the government lifted the ban for political expediency because the continued lock-down of these areas could have a dire consequence on the electoral calendar of Ghana in the 2020 elections.
Most people, especially the opposition political parties are of the view that the ban was lifted to enable the Electoral Commission (EC) of Ghana embark on its compilation of a new voters’ register which was scheduled to have begun on April 18, but had to be postponed due to the COVID-19.
Another school of thought by those propagating various conspiracy theories was the fact that its lifting would enable the National Identification Authority (NIA) resume its registration of the NIA card in the Eastern Region which was also aborted after a court ruled that the NIA was exempted from the President’s directives on ban on public gatherings.
Again, some were of the view that the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) would want to hold its parliamentary primaries for the constituency that have representatives in Parliament across the country.
While all these conspiracies and allegations could be true or otherwise, I would want us to focus on the loss of job that started raising its ugly head within the three weeks that the nation was locked down.
I am using the nation was locked down, even though it was just two out of the sixteen regions, were locked down, the Greater Accra and the Ashanti are the eyes of this country and whatever affect them affects the entire nation.
In fact, arguably, one would say in Akan dialect, “Ghana enoa ne Accra”, to wit, Ghana is Accra.
To this end, the nation cannot afford to let these two regions suffer in silence. It would bring chaos and human insecurity.
Prior to the lockdown on March 16, 2020, some companies started planning toward stimulation exercise where some workers were asked to stay home and work from home.
In fact, some companies asked their workers to stay home without work because with the nature of their work, there was no way they could work from home.
Therefore, such people were technically jobless within that period, so ask yourself, if this lock-down should have continued for another week or two, what would happen to such people?
Already, the lockdown started to have a dire consequence on companies because their revenue reduced due to the inability of their clients to transact business with them directly.
Few businesses could have survived if the lock-down had continued, probably because they could transact businesses virtually or through the internet such as the media, and few others.
Companies could have used the lockdown as a convenient means to lay off workers because already, some multinational companies started laying off workers due to the dire impact of COVID-19.
It is in line with the above and many other factors that I am of the view that the lifting of the three-week lock-down ban is in the right direction.
At this moment, workers would report to work and observe the World Health Organization (WHO), the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service safety protocols to stay safe.
General guidance for all workers and employers
For all workers, regardless of the specific risks they would be exposed to, it is always a good practice to:
Frequently wash your hands with soap under running water; the soap should at least be on your hands for 20 seconds.
When soap and running water are unavailable, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 70% alcohol. Always wash hands that are visibly soiled.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands.
Practice good respiratory etiquette, including covering coughs and sneezes.
Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Stay home if sick and call for help.
By Kweku Antwi-Otoo
The writer is a Producer and Editor at Media General (Onua FM) and a Level 300 Student at the Law Faculty of Kings University College, Accra.
Views expressed in the article does not reflect the editorial policies of Media General.
Braa Timoo Writes: Reflect on possible COVID-19 job losses in lock-down than theory
The lifting of the lock-down which residents were subjected to on Monday April 20 due to the corona virus, christened ‘COVID-19’ has been greeted with several misgivings by the general public.
Those expressing misgivings do not understand why when Ghana’s cases of COVID-19 were below 100, we locked down parts of two regions, Greater Accra and Greater Kumasi, but when Ghana’s cases surged to 1,042 [as at Sunday, April 19], the lock-down was lifted.
This came as a surprise to many Ghanaians moment after President Akufo-Addo in his seventh address to the nation on measures put in place to combat the spread and fight or contain COVID-19, pronounced an end to a three-week partial lock-down imposed on some parts of the country.
The President during the televised address on the night of Sunday April 19 explained to the entire nation that the decision was influenced by several factors, including Ghana’s ability to undertake aggressive contact tracing, an enhanced capacity to test, expansion of the number of treatment and isolation centres as well as the impact of the virus on the poor and vulnerable in the affected areas.
For the avoidance of doubt, let me repeat what the President said during the address.
“Fellow Ghanaians, in view of our ability to undertake aggressive contact tracing of infected persons, the enhancement of our capacity to test, the expansion in the numbers of our treatment and isolation centres, our better understanding of the dynamism of the virus, the ramping up of our domestic capacity to produce our own personal protective equipment, sanitizers 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 have taken the decision to lift the three (3) week old restriction on movements in the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area and Kasoa, and the Greater Kumasi Metropolitan Area and its contiguous districts, with effect from 1am on Monday, 20th April. In effect, tomorrow will see the partial lock-down in Accra and Kumasi being lifted”.
Moment after the announcement, both the social and traditional media were flooded with series of conspiracy theories, allegations and what could possibly be the reasons why the President and the government curtailed the lock-down.
While majority were of the view that Ghana has not been able to contain the virus to warrant lifting of lock-down in these two regions, others were of the view that the lock-down should have been extended to even other regions to enable the health workers contain the virus.
Some were of the view that the government lifted the ban for political expediency because the continued lock-down of these areas could have a dire consequence on the electoral calendar of Ghana in the 2020 elections.
Most people, especially the opposition political parties are of the view that the ban was lifted to enable the Electoral Commission (EC) of Ghana embark on its compilation of a new voters’ register which was scheduled to have begun on April 18, but had to be postponed due to the COVID-19.
Another school of thought by those propagating various conspiracy theories was the fact that its lifting would enable the National Identification Authority (NIA) resume its registration of the NIA card in the Eastern Region which was also aborted after a court ruled that the NIA was exempted from the President’s directives on ban on public gatherings.
Again, some were of the view that the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) would want to hold its parliamentary primaries for the constituency that have representatives in Parliament across the country.
While all these conspiracies and allegations could be true or otherwise, I would want us to focus on the loss of job that started raising its ugly head within the three weeks that the nation was locked down.
I am using the nation was locked down, even though it was just two out of the sixteen regions, were locked down, the Greater Accra and the Ashanti are the eyes of this country and whatever affect them affects the entire nation.
In fact, arguably, one would say in Akan dialect, “Ghana enoa ne Accra”, to wit, Ghana is Accra.
To this end, the nation cannot afford to let these two regions suffer in silence. It would bring chaos and human insecurity.
Prior to the lockdown on March 16, 2020, some companies started planning toward stimulation exercise where some workers were asked to stay home and work from home.
In fact, some companies asked their workers to stay home without work because with the nature of their work, there was no way they could work from home.
Therefore, such people were technically jobless within that period, so ask yourself, if this lock-down should have continued for another week or two, what would happen to such people?
Already, the lockdown started to have a dire consequence on companies because their revenue reduced due to the inability of their clients to transact business with them directly.
Few businesses could have survived if the lock-down had continued, probably because they could transact businesses virtually or through the internet such as the media, and few others.
Companies could have used the lockdown as a convenient means to lay off workers because already, some multinational companies started laying off workers due to the dire impact of COVID-19.
It is in line with the above and many other factors that I am of the view that the lifting of the three-week lock-down ban is in the right direction.
At this moment, workers would report to work and observe the World Health Organization (WHO), the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service safety protocols to stay safe.
General guidance for all workers and employers
For all workers, regardless of the specific risks they would be exposed to, it is always a good practice to:
Frequently wash your hands with soap under running water; the soap should at least be on your hands for 20 seconds.
When soap and running water are unavailable, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 70% alcohol. Always wash hands that are visibly soiled.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands.
Practice good respiratory etiquette, including covering coughs and sneezes.
Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Stay home if sick and call for help.
By Kweku Antwi-Otoo
The writer is a Producer and Editor at Media General (Onua FM) and a Level 300 Student at the Law Faculty of Kings University College, Accra.
Views expressed in the article does not reflect the editorial policies of Media General.