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The government will be forced to put the country under lockdown if Ghanaians do not strictly adhere to protocols aimed at curbing the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has warned.
In a nationally televised speech on Sunday night, the president said the country was seeing an increase in COVID-19 infections, a situation he stressed threatened to erode gains made so far in the fight against the disease. in the country.
Notably, he said the country now has more than 1,900 active cases of COVID-19, with an average daily record of 200 infections in the past two weeks, treatment centers are overflowing with patients and the number of patients requiring hospitalization. and intensive care increasing sharply from 18 to 120 in just one week, including 33 critical cases.
In addition, statistics from the Ghana Health Service indicate that the considerable number of critically ill people are relatively young people, with no previous underlying health condition, and the number of confirmed deaths has increased from the previous tally of 338. to 352 in two weeks.
Of particular concern, President Akufo-Addo noted, was the establishment that some arriving passengers have tested positive for new variants of COVID-19.
He said those passengers had all been isolated and work was underway to determine the presence and extent of the spread of the new variants in the general population.
The president was upset that many Ghanaians had given up using masks and were not following established hygiene protocols to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
He said detailed investigations indicated that in addition to arriving passengers at the airport who tested positive, those infected have recently attended parties, weddings, end-of-office programs. year, family reunions and funerals, events they have been involved in. this caused them to contract the virus.
“At this current rate, where 13 of the 16 regions have registered active cases, our health care 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.
“We do not want to go back to the days of partial lockdowns, which had a negative impact on our economy and on our way of life … But if it became necessary, that is to say if the number of active cases would continue to increase at the current rate. rate, I will have no other choice but to reimpose these restrictions because it is better to be careful than to apologize, ”said the president.
“So together, let’s all make sure we stick to the protocols. I urge all of us to continue living responsibly with the virus, even as we work to access the vaccine.
“Let’s constantly work on how to do our jobs, keep our businesses and places of worship open, and send our kids to school, all safe,” he pleaded.
President Akufo-Addo said the government is determined to bring the country back to normal, adding, “We can achieve this result if we cooperate and work together.”
“It is essential that we protect ourselves, our families and loved ones against the virus. It is a collective responsibility.
“If we embrace security 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, ”he said.
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