https://www.myjoyonline.com/review-of-lockdown-duration-yet-to-be-made-akufo-addo/-------https://www.myjoyonline.com/review-of-lockdown-duration-yet-to-be-made-akufo-addo/

The President, Nana Akufo-Addo has said a determination will be made in the coming week as to whether or not to extend the duration of the 14-day lockdown.

In a televised address to update the nation on efforts to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic Sunday, he said the country is yet to receive the result of some tests, which will determine his government's next line of action.

"I want to thank all of them and their families and loved ones for their understanding and co-operation with the stringent procedures that government was forced to deploy in the public interest," he said.     

Accra lockdown

According to him, efforts at contact tracing have been ramped up since he gave the directive for a lockdown.

"Indeed, for every confirmed case of Covid-19, all the contacts have been listed, monitored and tracked.

"Additionally, in the home or place of work of a confirmed case, all persons, be they at home or at work, have been tested, whether they had symptoms or not.

"Within the locality or neighbourhood of a confirmed case, the opportunity is also being provided for persons to undergo voluntary testing to ascertain the extent of community spread," the President said.

Accra lockdown

He added that the country is about to enter a critical phase of our fight in the coming week, as the Ghana Health Service is due to receive the results of some 15,384 out of 19,276 persons who have been reached through contact tracing.

"It is the results of these tests that will determine our future course of action. Government’s policy and measures will continue to be driven by the science in this matter," President Akufo-Addo said.

He continued, "So, in the course of the coming week, a determination will be made as to whether or not to extend the duration of the two-week restriction on movement, and the implementation or otherwise of any more enhanced measures to deal with the virus.

President Akufo-Addo

"I have, however, by Executive Instrument, extended the closure of our borders for two more weeks, until further notice.

"The data tells us that the overwhelming majority of confirmed cases came from travellers or from people who have come into contact with travellers."

President Nana Akufo-Addo concluded, "Fellow Ghanaians, tonight, I stand before you to ask for your continued patience, support, vigilance and adherence to the measures.

"Let each one of us play his or her part to enhance our collective efforts at containing the spread of the virus, which will enable us to hasten the lifting of these restrictions, and returning the nation to normalcy.

Meanwhile, the Deputy General Secretary of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has said the two-week lockdown imposed is not enough to fully isolate the spread of the coronavirus. 

Dr Titus Beyuo,who is also a member of the Infectious Diseases Committee of the GMA said the lockdown is only a stalling tactic to control the spread of Covid-19.

He said that is why the Association is calling a nationwide lockdown rather than a lockdown of selected areas.

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DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.