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Dr. Anthony Nsiah Asare, Presidential Advisor on Health
The Presidential Advisor on Health, Anthony Nsiah Asare, has said that available data and statistics on the COVID-19 pandemic informed President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s decision to ease the restrictions on COVID-19 protocols.
He said the country has a capable and well-informed medical community, like the National COVID-19 Task Force and the Ghana Medical Association, to give updates on several health issues, which the pandemic is not an exception.
He believes that the health professionals have acquired enough knowledge so far that enables them to arrive at relevant conclusions in advising government on the way forward, including collective effort at improving livelihoods.
He said this includes having “taken into consideration the nature of the virus, number of current cases, laboratories and facilities available to us so that we can manage ourselves well.”
Speaking on Kumasi-based Hello Fm, Dr. Nsiah Asare urged citizens to be part of the ongoing advocacy towards making themselves available for the COVID-19 vaccine, adding that those who had not yet been vaccinated should do so.
“COVID-19 is still around, but looking at our success stories, we can move on. Measures were put in place to guide us through. That’s why we were using nose masks, sanitisers…etc as well as temporary ban on funerals, churches and protocols for schools and all that…but here we are; what we have learnt from the virus is enough to aid us live our normal lives,” he said.
28th COVID update
President Nana Akufo-Addo in his address to the nation on Sunday stated that the wearing of nose mask is no longer mandatory. He also announced that the country’s land and sea borders had been opened.
According to him, “With countries in the ECOWAS Community, especially in our neighbouring countries, presently, like us, recording very low levels of infections, and having significant numbers of our people vaccinated, and on the advice of the national COVID-19 taskforce and the health experts, I have taken the decision to revise the COVID-19 Restrictions, enacted under E.I. 64.”
The COVID-19 pandemic was first recorded in the country in March 2020, and has been a health challenge worldwide.
Precautions
For his part, the General Secretary of the Ghana Medical Association, Dr. Titus Baidoo, said the virus is still around. He therefore urged people to take precautions as restrictions have been eased.
He advised the public to voluntarily wear nose masks if they get cold, cough or in a crowed area and get vaccinated as well.
“If you are not vaccinated, know that majority of the public are vaccinated, and you are at risk of contracting the virus. We are not in short of vaccines; we have more than enough, and I’m encouraging all to take advantage of it. We all wanted our normal lives back, but let’s be responsible for our actions,” Dr. Titus Baidoo said.