A researcher with the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research (KCCR), Dr John Amuasi said there should be no exemption in the wearing of face masks in the country. 

According to him, the move is the easiest safety protocol Ghana can use to reduce the spread of Covid-19.

The Public Health Expert suggests that persons who want to be exempted must apply through a laid down process and procedures.

Speaking to Samson Lardy Anyenini on NewsFile on the JoyNews channel, Dr Amuasi bemoaned the rate at which individuals have refused to wear face masks.

"The degree to which the mask wearing has fallen, at least from where I sit in Kumasi, it is so heart ranging and disturbing. Especially the young people walking in masses without masks." he said.

"It is only when it becomes a law, prosecutable that the wearing of face masks will work. I am 101% behind the law that masks should be worn and I don't think there should be exemptions" Public Health Expert indicated.

At a press conference, Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah announced that the president has signed the Executive Instrument to back the directive for the mandatory wearing of face masks.

Breaking the law could attract a fine of about ¢12,000 and/or plus between four to 10 years in jail.

Some legal practitioners have described the law as harsh and therefore appealed to the government to reduce the sentence.

But Dr John Amuasi said, "There is always a price to pay and I think the price to pay will not be too heavy for the masks wearing."