The Ghana Police Service has said a total of 453 had been arraigned before court and fined, 237 acquitted, 144 granted bails, and two on a bench warrant for failing to wear Nose Mask in Public Places.
Also, a total of 484 were verbally cautioned whilst 477 received written caution.
Superintendent Sheila Abayie-Buckman, Director of Public Affairs of the Ghana Police Service, who announced this in Accra during a COVID-19 Update, said 130 of the offenders arrested were in the Greater Accra Region, constituting the region with the highest arrest.
Not wearing a face-covering in public could result in a fine of 12,000 to 60,000 cedis, and/or a prison sentence of four to ten years.
To avert the possible spread of the virus in police cells, Madam Abayie-Buckman said the Police Service had created new police cells for new arrests, noting that 131 persons arrested tested positive for Coronavirus.
Ghana has introduced a range of measures in a bid to stop the spread of the coronavirus. These include quarantine and isolation of those who have the virus. Restrictions have also been placed on a host of events, including public and social gatherings
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has ordered the Inspector General of Police, Mr. James Oppong-Boanuh, to strictly enforce the mandatory wearing of nose masks among the populace as the nation continues to grapple with the Coronavirus pandemic.
The President gave this directive in his 22nd COVID-19 update to the nation on Sunday, January 17, 2021.
“We do not want to go back to the days of partial lockdowns which had a negative impact on our economy and way of life but should that become necessary and should the number of active cases continue to increase at the current rate, I will have no option than to reimpose these restrictions because it is better to be safe than to be sorry so together let us all ensure that we respect the protocols,” the President said in his 22nd update on government’s enhanced responsive measures against the outbreak.
Source: Mybrytfmonline/Kofi Atakora
