We need not look far in admitting that we are collectively relaxed as far as compliance with the COVID-19 safety protocols is concerned. Indeed, from buses or public transports through our busy streets and markets to institutions and organisations, the picture is one of partial observance or naked impunity.
The fact on the ground is that taxis and minibus drivers no longer demand that passengers or commuters mask up before they board their vehicles. That is because they themselves, in addition to not belting up, appear more interested in the number of passengers they get and the wads of notes they need to take to their masters.
Market queens, local government workers
On our markets as well, the local government agency reps, also more interested in their revenues and ‘kola,’ look the other way as queens in the market lead in the clear act of rebellion against the directives.
The story becomes discouraging when points, including public places that previously had their Veronica buckets filled with soapy water and tissue papers and sanitisers, ever ready to welcome visitors to their offices, now paint a different picture that may exhibit water and soap without sanitisers and tissue papers.
Except for the banking institutions which have imbibed the culture to the hilt in most places, compliance is below fifty percent across the Central Business District of Accra, for instance.
Traffic police
The story of lack of monitoring is the same when we get to the vehicular traffic landscape. Unlike the middle of last year when we had police stopping vehicles to check and enforce compliance, we are back to square one, with most of the passengers in any given situation not masked.
It is also no different when we come to our beaches and nightclubs and local food joints and restaurants. To make a long story short, we are retrogressing and putting ourselves in jeopardy at a time we should be sustaining the gains in protecting ourselves and our investments.
Worrying implications
Yesterday’s edition of the Ghanaian Times carried a report on the vexing issue when it did a story on the poor compliance levels in Accra and various excuses given for the lack of it. The paper cited even schools and churches as guilty of the breach, and wondered what fuelled the situation.
Strangely, this worrying picture comes against the background of confirmed 153,154 cases reported as at Monday and the worsening global picture, which has equally worrying economic implications for Ghana.
According to the report, most of the people interviewed believe merely vaccinating is an antidote against contracting of the COVID-19 disease. In their estimation, the initial ‘threat’ and ‘panic’ that forced people to comply with the protocols is now gone.
Collective duty
The story is a reflection of the realities on the ground. It appears that even as we move from sensitisation of the public on safety protocols, and move to vaccination, we have forgotten that vaccination is not a total replacement for the safety protocols.
While we therefore urge our monitoring agencies to get their acts together in enforcing strict observance of the protocols, we would equally urge that we all go back to the basics in washing our hands with soap under running water, applying sanitisers, masking up and ensuring our social distance codes.
As the President has often advised us, much as we have a duty to work and build and transform our nation, we also have a collective duty to ensure that we are in the best of health as we aim at attaining our national goals.
If we cannot take a lockdown for economic reasons, we must be willing to comply as responsible citizens with the measures that protect lives and livelihoods.
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