The CEO of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) has said hotels who fail to uphold precautionary measures against the coronavirus will be closed down when it becomes necessary.

Akwasi Agyeman noted that hoteliers have been engaged on keeping up protocols like providing sanitisers, handwashing points and informative notices in their premises in the wake of the spread of the deadly pandemic.

“So far we haven’t had to go hard on anybody. We just go to observe where there are issues of people deviating we go and let them know this is what has to happen.”

“Now, we are moving in with our task force. If we have to close down hotels for not observing the protocols, we will do that because the law is there and we can apply it” he told Joy FM, Wednesday.

Mr Agyeman advised patrons to report hotels who do not observe these practices by lodging complaints via email on info@Ghana.travel.

He acknowledged that the outbreak has taken a toll on the hospitality industry yet they were hopeful that if the necessary precautions are adhered to in order to curb the worsening of the pandemic in the country.

He explained that his outfit had to immediately release statements to inform the public on the cancellation of some events like the popular Kwahu Easter celebrations.

This followed President Akufo-Addo's directives on Sunday, March 15, 2020, which put a ban on public gatherings and schools for the next four weeks.

He further revealed that some upmarket hotels have cancelled bookings till May and have faced greatly reduced occupancy within this period.

“The tourism and hospitality sector is quite sensitive and so when things of this nature happen it’s one of the sectors that get directly hit,” he told host Daniel Dadzie.

Meanwhile, he applauded the President’s move to ban public gatherings in a bit to prevent a rampant spread of the pandemic across the country.

Ghana has so far recorded seven confirmed COVID-19 cases which are all 'imported'.