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A researcher at New York University’s Department of Health Policy and Management said a lockdown is a brutal tool to control the second wave of Covid-19 in Ghana, but it will be effective.
Nana Kofi Kwakye speaking in an interview on Joy FM’s noon Friday said that while an immediate lockdown is not what the country needs if preventative measures don’t work, it would be appropriate for President Akufo-Addo to impose a restriction on movement.
According to Kwakye, this would give the public health and medical sectors time to develop and effectively manage patients who have already contracted the virus.
Three more people have died from the new coronavirus as the country recorded 658 new cases on January 18.
This brings the death toll to 361 and 2,413 active cases, according to the Ghana Health Service (GHS).
GHS data further indicates that 28 patients are currently at critical stage and 83 others in severe conditions.
The increase in the number of cases, the deaths of important figures from Covid-19 and the failure to adhere to safety protocols have raised many concerns.
In his latest speech, President Akufo-Addo said citizens should help themselves by adhering to the protocols so that he is not forced to lock down parts of the country again.
Commenting on the conversation, the researcher said, “I think the lockdown is a very straightforward tool, but it’s a very effective tool for slowing the rate of transmission and buying time for the health system and the public system, if the other measures put in place are not very effective, ”he said.
In the meantime, however, the research fellow has called on the government and other relevant stakeholders to prioritize enforcement of security protocols before considering a lockdown.
“If we look at the data, the situation on the ground, the hospitalization rate and the levels of compliance. What if we can’t do all of these things that we need; reduce social gathering, more mask wear, social distancing on public transport, special contact tracing, increased testing; we will not be able to get our hands on the situation quickly enough to break the mode of transmission, ”he said.
Already, in his address to the nation, President Akufo-Addo has warned to reimpose movement restrictions if active cases of Covid-19 continue to rise.
The President said: “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 becomes necessary, that is, 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 be sorry. ”
To avoid a second lockdown, he called on everyone to respect and adhere to Covid-19 security protocols which have been somewhat “ abandoned ” by many.
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