The Volta Regional Minister is worried about the disregard by community members to the President’s directive on social distancing and public gathering. 

Dr Archibald Letsa said even though people have decided to stay at home, they, however, gather at community centres to engage in indoor games and discussions. 

This he said defeats the motive for the restrictions to control the spread of the novel coronavirus in the country. 

“The chiefs are very cooperative, but there are some communities where the youth are still playing football matches, they are still gathering playing Ludu and games.”

“You go to the villages and you see people gathered under trees and having fun and we want to discourage that,” he said in an interview with Joy News’ Fred Quame Asare. 

Dr Letsa who commended traditional authorities in the region on their commitment and support to government in fighting the pandemic urged them to continue to enlighten their subjects on the need to observe the restrictions on social distancing and public gatherings. 

He disclosed that a task force has been instituted to enforce the restrictions and ensure residents comply to minimise the spread of the novel coronavirus. 

“The task force will do the enforcement, we don’t want to intimidate anybody, we don’t want to make any arrest, we go around and disperse them and serve warnings to the leaders, but if it happens again, then the leaders will be held responsible”, he stressed. 

He added that the task force would also ensure commercial drivers comply with the Ministry of Transport directive to reduce the number of passengers onboard a vehicle at any given time. 

Dr Letsa, therefore, implored passengers to protect themselves by insisting drivers to go by the directive. 

“When one person gets the disease, we are all at risk, so people should continue to observe the basic personal hygiene that we’ve been advised to do,” he added. 

Nonetheless, persons who flout the Presidential restriction on public gathering and social distancing would be arrested and prosecuted. 

Persons convicted would be fined between ¢12,000 and ¢60,000 or handed jail term between four and 10 years.