As has been his duty and responsibility since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo last Sunday announced stringent measures aimed at ruthlessly fighting the troublesome pandemic.
The announcement, he reiterated, was based on available data and consultations with experts in the field, who had signalled that these are bad times.
Containment
According to the President, those measures were aimed at containing the spread of the virus by respecting the protocols Government had put in place. And he was hopeful that “we would begin to see an improvement in our case count, as a result.”
In the light of the frightening figures, which had 64 more people having, sadly, died, over the last two weeks, bringing the total number of confirmed deaths to 416, and hospitalization rates increasing while isolation centres get crowded, some sense of urgency was needed to stabilize the situation.
Collective effort
Given the dire situation we find ourselves in, it becomes a collective duty to fight in united manner in containing the virus. That is why the imposition of the new measures must be embraced by all in winning the war, which we have already proved to the world under the leadership of the President that we can.
Fortunately, the new measures are not alien to our circumstances; we have tried it before and it worked. That is why repeating it should not be a headache, but an excitement because of the results which we anticipate will help save lives and livelihoods.
As we are becoming aware, because the spread of the virus mostly occurs in indoor, confined spaces with poor ventilation, where people are talking, singing, or shouting without their masks, including funerals, pubs, churches and mosques, a ban on activities in such environments would be imperative.
No options
Again, since previous restrictions on our daily routines helped in reducing the prevalence of the pandemic in the country, and Government has been left with no option but to re-introduce some of these restrictions in order to help save the situation, all we need to do as citizens is to obey, without fail, the President’s directives.
As he indicated, these measures may be unpleasant, but likely to yield the required results over a period, for our collective good.
That is why we appeal to commercial bus drivers and passengers, churches and mosques, operators of pubs and traditional communities, which enjoy honouring the dead with crowds and noise and fanfare, to respect the President’s directives.
Markets and streets
More importantly, that is why we urge our market folk to bury their unscientific perceptions and hollow faith and do what is a better form of religious duty by obeying protocols that have bearing on our respective religious faiths.
Particularly in terms of focus on our markets and streets spaces, we would urge the Municipal, Metropolitan and District Chief Executives to crack the whip as landlords and local government agents in enforcing compliance.
Traders and traders’ associations, drivers and transport unions and hawkers owe the public a duty to get back to enforce the protocols in helping to win the war again.
Additionally, as the President affirmed, we expect all workplaces to put in place a shift-system for workers, in addition to the use of virtual platforms, among others.
That is the only way to save ourselves and our livelihoods, our children and our investments and heritage.
