Residents in the Eastern Regional capital Koforidua and its catchment area have called on President Akufo-Addo to lockdown Koforidua and its environs with immediate effect to curtail the coronavirus in the Eastern Region and Ghana as a whole.
According to them, unhealthy lifestyles adopted by some indigenes in the area indicate that Coronavirus could soon take over the Eastern region hence prompting the residents to make such calls.
They commended Akufo-Addo’s directive for a partial lockdown in Accra and greater Kumasi but said it’s not enough.
They believe that imposing a lockdown, though would affect their sources of livelihood, but that remains the only option to combat the spread of the pandemic to other parts of the eastern region.
One madam Patricia, a cosmetics seller at Koforidua Bohye in the New Juabeng North Municipality had this to say, “We are hearing stories about our community, that the disease has is prevalent here and I’m afraid so I prefer that the government should impose a lockdown on this area for about one month, we should be in the house,” she urged.
Opanyin Kwakye, a provisions seller shared similar sentiments “I believe this place should equally be lockdown so that all of us can be free from the virus, otherwise, it will be very problematic. Same way they locked the cities, so must they lock our community too.” he opined.
“Locking Koforidua and its catchment area down is long overdue as people could easily transmit the virus to others. “We all take vehicles and it’s very easy for someone to infect others in the vehicle,” a group of guys added.
Many more others had similar opinions to share.
They believed failure to lockdown Koforidua and its environs with reported cases could result in mass community infections.
As of yesterday, 14th April 2020 a total of 50,719 persons have been tested with 641 being positive for COVID-19.
The breakdowns of the 641 positive cases are as follows: seventeen (17) have been treated, reverted to negative on repeat tests and discharged.
Furthermore, 66 have tested negative once and awaiting the second test. This brings together a total of 83 cases that have been recovered/discharged. None is in critical state currently and eight (8) are dead.
As of now, the Eastern Region has recorded 41 cases.
Source: Mybrytfmonline/Evans Boateng
