Lift of Lockdown: Wear Masks To Prevent Coronavirus - Prez Akufo-Addo Urges Ghanaians

President Nana Akufo-Addo has advised Ghanaians to wear masks to prevent the transmission of Coronavirus in the country.

The President lifted the three-week restrictions on movement in some parts of the country but urged the citizenry to continue to adhere to the safety protocols regarding the virus infection.

Giving his 7th update on the Coronavirus pandemic, the President asked Ghanaians to guard themselves against the virus by wearing masks as they go outside on their daily routine.

''Like the World Health Organisation (WHO) has recently advised, I want to encourage you to wear a mask wherever you go, as it will help you not to contract the virus, and keep it clean. If you own a business, or are providing a service, i.e. a barber, a hairdresser, a tailor, a taxi driver, a trotro driver and his ‘mate’, a shop keeper, a food seller, please do well to use a mask. The Ministry of Health will very soon issue guidelines on face masks for public use. I entreat religious, traditional, community and opinion leaders to partner with government in engaging, mobilising and enforcing adherence to social distancing and personal hygiene practices in their respective communities'', he admonished.

President Akufo-Addo further advised the general public to keep in mind that ''our success in defeating the virus is largely within our control. That means each and every one of us must exercise, at all times, during this period without the partial lockdown in Accra and Kumasi, a strong sense of selflessness, self-control and self-discipline. It is important to stress strongly that coming out of the partial lockdown in Accra and Kumasi does not mean we are out of the pandemic''.

''We will continue to monitor closely events in some hotspots in the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area like Weija Gbawe, Ga East, and Ayawaso East Municipalities, and Tema Metropolis, and in the Eastern Region, like Asuoygaman and Lower Manya Krobo Districts. Whenever the situation so warrants, a community in which the virus is identified as becoming prevalent will be locked-down, until there is a clear understanding of the trajectory of the virus that will allow us to contain it. We must obey the measures still in place, including the new ones, because we know our survival depends on them, and, the harder we are on ourselves in obeying them, the quicker and more enduring will be the victory'', he added.