Ghanaians are being reminded to avoid large family gatherings or any other grouping that goes against the social distancing rules in the celebration of this year’s Easter.
The reminder from President Akufo-Addo comes after Accra and Kumasi, the epicentres of the coronavirus in Ghana are still under lockdown following an extension of the restriction on movement directive by one more week.
“We are used to attending Easter conventions, making-merry, visiting friends and family, and having a good time. Yes, like a lot of you, I was also looking forward to visiting Kwahu during this time of the year, which I have been doing for several years. However, I am urging all of us to do the exact opposite of what we have been used to for many years”, said President Akufo-Addo in a televised address on Thursday night.
“Stay at home. I ask you to keep your distance from your parents, grandparents and extended family, and celebrate this holiday apart. Do not host a big family gathering, and sternly refuse to attend one if you are invited. Your relatives will understand you are doing this out of love for them. Please, make that sacrifice,” he pleaded.
Ban on social gatherings
Akufo-Addo, on Sunday [March 15, 2020] announced a ban on all public gatherings including conferences, workshops, funerals, festivals, political rallies, church activities and other related events as part of measures to stop the spread of coronavirus in the country.
This order was well adhered to by the said groups, including churches who were preparing towards the celebration of the death of Christ.
Welcoming the directive, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference, Methodist Church, Ghana, Seventh-Day Adventist Churches among other religious institutions suspended all church activities that involved overcrowding and resorted to having services online.
Ghana’s Covid-19 status
The President, in the address, revealed that Ghana’s cases of the novel Coronavirus had increased to 378.
According to him, the new cases were detected as a result of the ongoing enhanced contact tracing and testing exercise.
“We now see that the decision to close our borders has been justified as 105 of the confirmed cases came from those who were mandatorily quarantined and tested on arrival into the country on the 21st and the 22nd of March. 192 of our cases also came from travellers who came into the country before closure [of our borders] and they contribute for 79% of the 378 confirmed cases [in Ghana],” he said.
By Jonathan Ofori, Daily Mail GH
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