Deputy Defense Minister, Major Derek Oduro has posited that considering the rate of increase in the cases of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Ghana, the 2-week lockdown may be extended by the same period.
Major Derek Oduro also noted that there are some Ghanaians who have not still appreciated the severity of the situation at hand and flout the lockdown rules, minimising the success rate of the lockdown imposed by the government.
The Deputy Defense Minister iterated that efforts government has initiated and the results it has yielded so far in the fight against the virus, placing the spotlight on the country, globally.
“Because of our proactiveness, we are recording high recovery rate. Nowhere in the world have they had such a situation as we do in Ghana. It means we are doing something right,” he boasted.
“The frontline workers, particularly, the military have laid down their lives for the nation. They are very vulnerable but they have taken oath to protect the country even at the peril of their lives. We need to be obedient to the laws so we don’t expose them to unnecessary risk,” he stressed while urging the public to observe safety and health protocols because the disease has the potential of causing havoc.
Ghana has confirmed more than 200 cases of the Coronavirus while recording about 50 recoveries and 5 deaths.
Aside from the lockdown, the government has also instituted several measures including intensifying education on the virus, closing down all educational facilities and embarking n enhanced surveillance and mass testing.
Even though he stated no decision has been made by the President or the core team leading the Coronavirus fight in Ghana as to whether to extend the lockdown period or not, his assessment of the situation leads him to conclude that an extension is the best option to take at the moment.
Major Oduro acknowledged, “I thank those who have obeyed all the regulations and have stayed indoors. There are also those who are loitering about. We urge them to desist from that. COVID-19 is what is infringing on your right, not the military or government”
“Let us all comply so that after two weeks when the situation improves the president can rescind the imposition of restrictions on our movements and get us back to normalcy. If we get to the end of the lockdown and the situation has worsened, I can’t tell what the President will decide but my assessment and thinking is that it will be extended for an extra 2weeks,” he added.
