The President has announced that movements in some urban areas in the country will be restricted from Monday for two weeks as part of government measures to control the spread of the coronavirus.

The lockdown affects areas in Accra, Tema, Kasoa and Kumasi, where significant numbers of infections have been recorded.

Delivering his fourth national televised address on the state's anti-coronavirus strategy on Friday evening, President Nana Akufo-Addo said beginning from 1:00 a.m. on Monday, March 30, the lockdown will restrict the movement people for a period of two weeks subject to review.

The lockdown, he explained is to enable contact tracing of persons who have come into contact with persons who have tested positive for the deadly virus.

Since the start of the week, there have been numerous calls on Nana Akufo-Addo to declare a lockdown like many countries have done to mitigate the growing spread of the deadly disease.

As of Friday, March 27, 2020, Ghana has recorded 137 confirmed cases.

A lockdown is typically an emergency protocol that a state uses to prevent people from leaving a particular area.

The President directed during Friday's address that people in the affected areas can only go out to get essential items such as food, conduct banking transactions or use the public toilet.

Highlights of the address

1. President Akufo-Addo announced that effective Monday, 30th March, 2020 at 1 am under the Imposition of Restrictions Act, 2020 (Act 1012), there will be restrictions on the movement of persons in the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area (GAMA, which include Awutu Senya East ), and the Greater Kumasi Metropolitan Area and contiguous districts, for a period of two (2) weeks or 14 days subject to review.

2. In Greater Accra, the following areas will be affected:

• Accra Metropolis
  -Tema Metropolis
  -Tema West
  -Kpone Katamanso
  -Krowor
  -Ledzokuku
  -Adentan
• Ashiaman
  La-Nkwantanang-Madina
  -La-Dade-Kotopon
  -Okaikwei North
  -Ablekuma North
  -Ablekuma West
  -Ablekuma Central
  -Ayawaso East
  -Ayawaso North
  -Ayawaso West
  -Ayawaso Central
  -Ga North
  -Ga West
  -Ga South
  -Ga Central
  Ga East
  -Korle-Klottey
  -Weija/Gbawe
  -Awutu Senya East

3. In the Greater Kumasi Metropolitan Area the following areas are affected:
*Kumasi Metropolis;
*Asokwa

• Suame
  *Old Tafo
  *Oforikrom
  *Asokore Mampong
  *Kwadaso
  *Atwima Nwabiagya
  *Kwabre East
  *Ejisu
  *Afigya-Kwabre South
  *Bosomtwe
  *Atwima Kwanwoma
  *Atwima Nwabiagya North

4. This means that everyone resident in these areas must stay at home for the next two weeks or 14 days, However, if you must go out, it must only be to get essential items such as food, water, medicine, undertake banking transactions, or to use public toilet facilities. But, as much as possible, stay at, h.ome.

5. There shall be, during this period, no inter-city movement of vehicles and aircraft for private or commercial purposes for the areas of the restrictive measures, except for vehicles and aircrafts providing essential services and those carrying cargo.

6.-Riders of motorbikes are not allowed to carry any additional person, and all intra-city passenger vehicles, such as trotros and taxis, must reduce the number of passengers in order to observe appropriate social distancing and hygiene protocols.

7. All commercial vehicle stations shall observe appropriate hygiene protocols and social distancing.

8.Individuals and institutions providing the following services shall be exempted from the restrictions:
-Members of the Executive, Legislature and the Judiciary;
-Production, distribution and marketing of food, beverages, pharmaceuticals, medicine, paper and plastic packages.
-Environmental and sanitation activities;
-VALCO staff
-Road and Railway
construction workers;
-Mining workers;
-Fisherfolk;
-Members of the security agencies assigned lawful duties;
-The staff of electricity, water, telecommunications, e-commerce and digital service providers; and
-Fuel stations staff.

Here are the latest updates from the Ghana Health Service about the coronavirus situation in the country:

• As at the evening of March 27, 2020, 59 COVID-19 cases including four deaths have been confirmed from the regular surveillance systems.

• All four deaths had underlying chronic medical conditions. Two have recovered and have been discharged.
• The remaining 53 cases are doing well: 14 are being managed at home. The rest are on admission and responding well to treatment. Greater proportion of those on treatment with mild symptoms and are awaiting repeat of their laboratory tests to inform a decision to discharge them.
• Majority of the confirmed cases are Ghanaians, who returned home from other affected countries. Seven are of other nationals namely: Norway, Lebanon, China, Netherlands, and United Kingdom. Seventy-eight (78) among the travellers (1,030 in number), who were mandatory quarantined and tested, have tested positive for COVID-19.
• Regarding contact tracing, a total of 1,006 contacts have been identified and are being tracked. Out of these, 204 have completed the 14 days mandatory follow up.