Director of Operations at the Greater Accra Regional Police Command has outlined steps to be taken by people who want to travel for burials during the lockdown.

ACP Kwesi Ofori said that the police will not take the words of individuals on the face value but will need documentations to allow individuals to pass by checkpoints.

“There must be some documents, for instance; the burial certificates, a letter from the District Assembly stating they have given you permission to hold the burial,” he told Daniel Dadzie, host of Joy FM’s Super Morning Show, Monday.

ACP Ofori, however, advised that the number of people who attend the event must be in line with the numbers specified by government.

His comments followed a question from a caller who expressed her dilemma of how to travel from Tema, currently under lockdown to Swedru in the Central Region to hold a private burial for her late mother.

On March 15, President Nana Akufo-Addo ordered the suspension of all public gatherings for four weeks to contain the spread of coronavirus in the country.

The exception to this directive was the organising of private burials which will be permitted if there are no more than 25 people in attendance.

This ban has, however, been extended for two more weeks as the number of positive Covid-19 cases keep rising.

ACP Ofori expressed general satisfaction to the compliance with the lockdown measures.

But sounded a word of caution to recalcitrant people who don’t want to stay home.

He stated that the security service is going to ensure stricter implementation of the directive.

“We are going to make sure the checks system is improved and people going to go through vigorous interviews at checkpoints. We as the security will use force where neccessary” he said.

He added that his outfit is doing everything possible to adhere to social distancing protocols in the discharge of their duty while using Personal Protective Equipments (PPEs).

“It is not enough but the administration has done well to provide us with them and corporate individuals and institutions have given us,” he said.