The President of Ghana, H.E Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has bemoaned the worsening rate of non-compliance by the public to the mandatory nose masking in the country.
In his 19th address on the COVID-19 pandemic, the President shared that there has been a significant decline of public compliance to the wearing of mask from 44.3 percent [which was reported during his 15th address] to a rather scarier rate of 5 percent. He indicated that the survey as conducted by the Ghana Health Service (GHS) stressed the risk factors associated with the rising numbers of infections in recent times.
“Indeed the high compliance rate of mask-wearing of persons surveyed by the Ghana Health Service in some selected areas of Accra, for example, to which I referred to optimistically in update number 15, has according to a new survey conducted by the same service, fallen alarmingly from 44.3 percent to 5 percent. This is not acceptable,” he fired.
President Akufo Addo reiterated that compliance with the preventive protocols must be a learned behaviour and a matter of public interest if we are to defeat the virus.
“As the enhanced hygiene and mask-wearing protocols must now be central features of our lives and must continue to remain so for some time to come until we see to the elimination of the virus from our country.”
Today, the country’s active case count of COVID-19 has risen to 1,156, with a total of 198 new cases.
As a matter of emergency, President Nana has directed the enhancement of logistical supplies to the various treating and testing facilities to curb the spread. He took the opportunity to remind political actors of their responsibility to check on their compatriots and supporters to remain religious to the preventive etiquette during their campaigns and on the day of the elections.