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People who fail to comply with the directive to wear nose masks in the Ashanti Region will be made to undertake instant community service as punishment.

The Ashanti Regional Security Council (REGSEC) last week instructed the police in the region to enforce the directive on the wearing of nose masks, especially on those accessing public areas.

Following the directive, the police last Friday begun an exercise to enforce the directive.

Community service

The exercise, carried out mainly in the Kumasi metropolis, saw the arrest of about 30 people, mainly trotro mates.

They were made to sweep and pick litter from the streets for a maximum of 10 minutes before being released.

The police also used the opportunity to educate the public on the need to wear nose masks to protect themselves from contracting the virus and also spreading it.

Checking compliance

In an interview with the Daily Graphic, the Ashanti Regional Police Public Relations Officer, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Mr Godwin Ahianyo, said the exercise was mainly to enforce compliance with the directive on the wearing of nose masks and physical distancing.

The police, he said, had used the previous weeks to educate the various transport unions in the region on the need for their members to wear the nose masks, as well as insist on their passengers wearing the masks before boarding their vehicles.

He said the police also used the occasion to distribute some nose masks to some identified members of the public

According to him, most people were complying with the directive, with just very few recalcitrants, most of whom were drivers’ mates.

Sustained

He said the exercise would be sustained until all residents complied with the directive and the wearing of nose masks became the new norm.

The exercise would be extended to the rest of the districts in the region, he added.

The first day of the exercise saw the team move from the Bekwai Roundabout, through the Harper Road, Bantama to the Labour Roundabout area.