Police has deployed armed men to guard the country’s beaches as part of measures to curb the spread of Covid-19 during the Easter festivities.

This follows the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Henry Quartey directing the Police and other security personnel to close down all beaches from Ada to the coastal boundary with the Central Region indefinitely to ensure sustained compliance with all Covid-19 safety protocols especially during the Easter celebrations.

“President Akufo-Addo has on several occasions in his address to the nation indicated the need to avoid going to pubs, night clubs and especially the beaches but people will not listen, so in collaboration with the Ministry of Interior and the IGP, I am sending a stern warning to all of you, on Friday Easter holiday please stay off the beaches, there would be heave security deployment all the way from Ada to the coastal boundary with the central region,” he said.

Speaking to Joy News, the Director of Operations of the Ghana Police Service, ACP Kwasi Ofori, noted that the major areas of concern to the Accra Regional Command of police are the Southern beaches in the country therefore the need to guard it to ensure that the President's directive is not flouted by citizens for a quite Easter to be observed.

"We have a large and long track of beaches across the country in the Southern and in Accra we’ve identified beaches like Krokrobite beach, Bojo, Dansoman, Glife, Mensa Guinea, independence square, Nungua, Teshie and Sakumono beaches.”

Also, ASP Peter Kwarteng of the Tema Marine Police said they’ve turned away a number of people who have tried to negotiate their way into the beach premises.

“We’ve been here since 6 am, you can see Marine Police is here, FPU is here ,CTU, Accra Regional Police Command some personnel’s are here, La District Police Command some personnel’s are here together we want to ensure that the place is safe, nobody is allowed in.

"Since we came here, a quite number of people have been here trying to enter with all sort of explanation that they operate bars and restaurant, so they want to go there. Some people say they want to go and off their light and other things but they are aware that there’s no beach activity so we tell them and some of them go but some keep explaining but since no one is there who are you going to sell to?,” he said.

ASP Kwarteng said the police would be on the guard at the beaches till the Easter festivities are over.

"You know today is Good Friday and we are here. Tomorrow we will be here till maybe Tuesday. you know Easter peak is Monday where normal times you come here, churches, groups, clubs, people come here to have fun but they are aware of the ban. We are also here to ensure nobody comes to have their gathering,” he stated.

Meanwhile, a Public Relations Officer (PRO) at the La Beach Hotel, Abban Nunoo has appealed to government to relax the ban on the beaches opening, since the beach has requisite measures in place to ensure Covid-19 protocols are adhered to.