Henry Quartey, Greater Accra Regional Minister
Henry Quartey, the Greater Accra Regional Minister, has tasked the Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs), to cause the arrest of residents of the region not adhering to the mandatory COVID-19 safety protocols.
A statement issued in Accra by the Regional Minister and copied to the Ghana News Agency (GNA), said the directive was in compliance with the President’s 26th update on measures adopted by the Government to curb the spread of COVID-19, where he urged Ghanaians to strictly observe all set protocols, to minimize the effect of the third wave of the disease in the county.
The regional Minister’s directive mandated all Security Councils in the various Assemblies in the region to embark on routine checks at public places i.e. schools, lorry stations, and markets, especially in trotros (minibuses) to ensure that there is strict compliance to the protocols.
“All Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies should collaborate with their respective Police Commanders and other security apparatus in ensuring that all activities associated with funerals are held in open airs spaces and it should not exceed a duration of two (2) hours”.
The statement also tasked all Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies to immediately reactivate their District Public Health Emergency Management Committees in the fight against the pandemic.
“All Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) should as a matter of urgency start their sensitization programs on COVID-19 and its safety protocols as a wakeup call for all,” it directed.
The Statement further urged MMDAs to also ensure that individuals or group of persons who breech the protocols are “arrested, fined or prosecuted according to the law to serve as a deterrent to others”.
It said the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) would continue to play its supervisory role with random spot checks on all public bans.
However, “we appeal to our revered traditional, political, religious and opinion leaders to be at the forefront of this drive and campaign to curtail this steep increases of COVID-19 case in the Region”.