President Akufo-Addo says government is not considering a lockdown currently because of the implications it will have on many people.
According to him, although the country is recording more coronavirus cases, government is still monitoring the situation and will implement decisions that are in the best interest of all.
“Now people are talking about a lockdown in Ghana and this and that but we should know that the majority of people will be affected. The ordinary Ghanaians are the ones that will be most affected and it is important for us who have to take this decision to take into account, their circumstances and conditions.
“If you lockdown Accra, what are the consequences? If we lockdown the country, what are the consequences? A responsible government is required to look at all this before decisions are made and that is the exercise on which we are currently engaged.
“I am hopeful that sooner than later, we will come to an agreement within government on the way forward and the Ghanaian people will be informed. But I want to assure you that the matters you have put on the table are matters we are actively deliberating on,” President Akufo-Addo said.
Addressing leaders of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) led by General Secretary Dr. Yaw Baah at the Jubilee House, President Akufo-Addo said he was optimistic current measures put in place by government will help curb further spread of the virus.
“I have indicated to the country that the main objectives of our policies and responses which includes limiting importation. We are trying to take control of the spread of the virus by making provision to strengthen our capacity to care for those who are sick, limiting as much as possible the impact on our social and economic lives and then also, trying to find a way to use this crisis as an opportunity to strengthen our nation.
“We have seen how dependent we are on foreign import for our medicines and that shouldn’t be the case. But now we are finding the capacity to produce things for ourselves,” he concluded.
Since Ghana recorded 68 Covid-19 cases, there has been pressure on government to announce a lockdown with immediate effect.
The Ghana Medical Association and the Trade Union Congress say such a directive will help contain the spread of the virus and prevent fear and panic.
This has led to a heated debate on social media, with another school of thought arguing that a lockdown will kill more people than the virus since appropriate measures and structures have not been put in place.
But with the country recording 132 cases, the Trade Union Congress is still urging President Akufo-Addo to consider a more aggressive approach to the fight against the coronavirus.
