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Ghanaians, good evening.
Before beginning, allow me to take this opportunity to thank you all and Almighty God for allowing me to take, for the second time, the oath of office as President of the Republic. The ceremony took place after I last spoke to you. I promise that I will do my best to live up to your expectations.
I come home this evening with some rather unpleasant news. When I delivered Update # 21 about two weeks ago, I urged all of us to continue to adhere to the improved hygiene and mask-wearing protocols which have served us well and led us to a situation where we were witnessing a gradual decline in the number of active cases.
However, since then there has been an increase in the number of active cases, from just over nine hundred (900) to one thousand nine hundred and twenty-four (1,924). Our COVID-19 treatment centers have gone from zero patients to now saturated due to the upsurge in infections.
Of particular concern is the fact that the Ghana Health Service is recording an average of two hundred (200) new cases of COVID infections per day. The number of patients requiring hospitalization and intensive care is increasing. The number of severe cases, which stood at eighteen (18) a week ago, has risen sharply to one hundred and twenty (120). Two weeks ago, there were no critical cases, we now have thirty-three (33) in our treatment centers. Again, according to statistics from the Ghana Health Service, the sheer number of critically ill people are, surprisingly, relatively young people, with no underlying health issues. The number of confirmed deaths has unfortunately increased from three hundred and thirty-eight (338) to three hundred and fifty-two (352) during this period.
Recent genomic sequencing undertaken by our scientists has established that some arriving passengers have tested positive for new variants of COVID-19. These passengers were all isolated. In addition, work is underway to determine the presence and extent of spread of the new variants in the general population.
Detailed case investigations indicate that in addition to passengers arriving at our airport who have tested positive, those infected have recently attended parties, weddings, end of year office programs, family reunions. and funerals. At these gatherings, most of them gave up the use of masks and engaged in actions that caused them to contract the virus.
Dear Ghanaians, at this current rate, where thirteen (13) of the sixteen (16) regions have recorded active cases, our health infrastructure will be overwhelmed. If this situation continues, it will severely undermine the government’s efforts to revitalize the economy and put our nation back on the path to progress and prosperity after the ravages of the pandemic.
The 7e In January, as I said, I vowed to “devote myself to the service and welfare of the people of the Republic of Ghana, and to uphold the law of all kinds of people.” It is my duty to protect lives and livelihoods.
To do this, I instructed the Inspector General of Police to instruct the officers, men and women of the police service, to ensure the rigorous application of the law on the wearing of masks in all public places and in public transports. They must also ensure the closure of all nightclubs, pubs, cinemas and beaches that may operate in violation of the law. They will be assisted by other security agencies, if necessary.
People in markets, workplaces and public transport operators must conduct their activities in accordance with health and safety protocols. Wearing masks in these places is compulsory. Regulatory agencies will undertake random checks to ensure compliance with COVID-19 rules. If a facility or institution does not comply with these guidelines, its activities will be immediately banned and appropriate sanctions will be applied.
It is important that I remind all Ghanaians that severe penalties exist in our statutes for those who violate the law on the compulsory wearing of masks. If a person is arrested by security agencies without following this directive, that person will be treated in strict accordance with the law.
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 if it becomes necessary, i.e. if the number of active cases continues to increase at the current rate, I will have no choice but to reimpose these restrictions because it is better to be safe than to to be sorry. So, together, let’s all make sure we stick to the protocols.
The government is stepping up its enhanced 3T strategy – screening, testing and treatment – to enable us to identify infected people, isolate them and treat them. A considerable number of contact tracers are mobilized to ensure the follow-up of the contacts of all those who test positive. All laboratories, public and private, must provide real-time data on all people tested on the common platform set up by the Ghana Health Service. There will be sanctions against laboratories that do not comply. We have also provided additional logistics, including vehicles, to the Ghana Health Service for the supervision and follow-up of asymptomatic cases managed at home.
In addition, the government is reactivating the treatment and isolation facilities available across the country in anticipation of any further increase in infections. The provision of adequate medicines, equipment and personal protective equipment to enable health workers to care for patients at home is underway.
Dear Ghanaian colleagues, as our kindergarten, primary, high school, SHS 2 and SHS 3 children return to school from tomorrow, I would like to reiterate that the government has taken the necessary measures to ensure their safety at home. ‘school. School principals, along with their teachers, have taken the required orientation on the “Guidelines for Reopening Schools During COVID-19” to enable them to assist with student compliance with protocols.
I have been encouraged by the preparations made by many schools, in some cases with the support of their former student associations and PTAs, in anticipation of Monday’s return. On our side, the government has also undertaken the fumigation and disinfection of schools, and the provision of disinfectants, masks, liquid soaps, Veronica buckets, rolls of tissue paper, face shields for hearing impaired learners and staff, and gloves. for caregivers and attendants, in schools across the country. All high school high schools have been mapped to medical facilities across the country, so that any outbreak of disease in such a school can be properly contained. Suspected cases in elementary and junior high schools will be managed by district health teams through the school health program and COVID-19 rapid response teams.
The world faces a learning crisis – a crisis that further exacerbates inequalities in access to education, with children in the poorest households and communities most affected. This learning crisis has serious implications for the future of our country. This is particularly worrying for me because I have placed education at the center of Ghana’s social and economic progress and prosperity, and of its political stability.
That is why, in our attempt to mitigate the impact of the pandemic, the CAPBuss initiative, administered by the National Board for Small Scale Industries, began disbursements to applicants from private educational institutions, many of which were hard hit by the pandemic. Other disbursements to these institutions are being processed.
I now want to speak directly to the students and children who are returning to school, as well as those of you who have already returned. I know that for most of you, 2020 has been a very unfamiliar year and presented a setback for your preparation for the future. You have all seen the struggle your parents, especially working parents, have gone through with you at home due to the school closures. You also know how you struggled to learn from home, even for those of you who are lucky enough to continue with some of your online courses. The frustrations, the idleness, the lack of privacy in the classroom or in a study group – all of this has been extremely difficult for you, your parents, your teachers and everyone involved. It’s something we should all try to put behind us. A lot of it depends on you.
As we take these big steps back to school, your attitude, your behavior, your self-discipline will decide whether our schools remain open or not.
I beg you, please observe COVID-19 protocols at all times. You need to maintain a level of discipline and a sense of responsibility to prevent the virus from spreading in your schools and, for day students, at home as well. Wear your masks at all times. Wash and sanitize your hands regularly. Protect yourself. Protect each other. Protect your teachers. Protect your parents. But please don’t give me a reason to close the schools again. I pledge to do my best to continue your education. I want you to assure me, your parents, your teachers, and society at large, through your actions, that you will be doing your part as well.
Dear Ghanaian colleagues, I urge all of us to continue living responsibly with the virus, even as we work to access the vaccine. Details of the access and deployment plan will be announced very soon. Let’s constantly work on how to do our jobs, keep our businesses and places of worship open, and send our children to school, all safe.
The government, for its part, is committed and determined to help ensure that we can return to our normal daily activities of going to work, going to school, going shopping, going to market, go to a funeral, go to the pub, go to the club, go to the movies, go to the beach, go to the stadium or go to worship. We can achieve this result if we cooperate and work together. It is essential that we protect ourselves, our families and loved ones from the virus. It is a collective responsibility.
If we adopt the safety protocols, that is, the improved hygiene and mask protocols, and continue to put our faith in Almighty God, we will see the light at the end of this tunnel. . Zero active cases – this is the goal. We can and must achieve it.
Dear Ghanaians, in all sincerity I repeat that this too will pass! Because the battle is the lords !!
May God bless us all and our homeland, Ghana, and make it great and strong.
Thank you for your attention and good night.
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