The National House of Chiefs (NHC) has admonished traditional leaders to adhere to the social distancing protocols outlined by President Akufo-Addo and health experts to stop the spread of the Covid-19.

It expressed regret that some traditional leaders had misconstrued the lifting of the lockdown to mean Ghana was out of the clasps of the dreaded Covid-19 pandemic.

A directive issued to all traditional leaders, jointly signed by Togbe Afede XIV, President of the House, and Dasebre Kwebu Ewusi VII, Vice President, urged them to observe the health protocols.

“We would like to remind all our traditional leaders that even though the lockdown has been lifted in Greater Accra, Kasoa, Greater Kumasi, and their surrounding areas, we are not out of the woods yet,” the directive said.

“COVID-19 is still here. We all should, therefore, observe the same preventive measures and directives that the Government and health experts have been preaching”.

The directive entreated the traditional leaders to suspend all traditional activities that would breach social distancing requirements.

It advised that the performance of funerals and traditional rites must be restricted to a few people and that the few participants must fully respect the protocols and directives on social distancing.

It also reminded traditional leaders to ensure that at such meetings all participants cover their noses and mouths, wash hands regularly under running water and sanitize them before, during, and after such activities.

The directive also urged the leaders to ensure all the preventive protocols including social distancing and hygiene were observed at the various markets.

It said it was important for all the chiefs to educate their subjects accordingly on all the measures to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus in the various communities.

It urged traditional leaders in the border towns to help enforce the closure of the borders, as directed by President Akufo-Addo.

The House urged members to rise and commit to the COVID-19 fight and shun inappropriate behaviours that would endanger not only the health of the people in the community involved but the rest of the country.