Drivers in Koforidua the Eastern regional capital have declared “No nose mask No entry” as a measure to curb the spread of coronavirus.
The Drivers are also pushing for the prohibition against eating food in vehicles.
In enforcing this directive, the Ghana Private Road Transport Association, GPRTU, together with other transport unions in Koforidua have formed “Covid-19 protocol enforcement taskforce” at various lorry terminals in the Eastern region to enforce the “No mask No entry” directive which seeks to ensure strict compliance to the covid-19 preventive protocols.
The Taskforce will among other things ensure that no passenger enters a vehicle without properly wearing a nose mask, washing hands, and applying alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
The formation of the Taskforce follows a directive by the national leadership of GPRTU.
The directive stated that the compulsory wearing of face masks by drivers, their mates, porters, and the traveling public must be enforced. Veronica hand washing buckets and sanitizers must be made available at various lorry terminals for passengers, also a task force must be formed for enforcement, and a jingle is played continuously to educate passengers and drivers to adhere to the preventive protocols of the virus.
Addressing the media at the Kumasi lorry terminal in Koforidua, the Eastern Regional Chairman of GPRTU, Johnson Kyere said, the Regional Secretariat of GPRTU together with other driver unions have communicated the same to their drivers for strict compliance.
He stated that any driver or mate found without wearing a nose mask or picks a passenger who refuses to wear a nose mask will be punished.
Mr. Johnson Kyere appealed to the traveling public to also comply with the directive to help prevent the spread of coronavirus.
Nana Boateng popularly known as “Cooly cooly “ chairman of Koforidua Taxi drivers association advised passengers to stop the habit of removing their masks whenever talking on the phone while in the vehicle. He also said eating in vehicles must be prohibited since it could endanger the lives of other passengers with the removal of the mask.
Ghana’s Covid-19 death toll as of January 23, 2021, stood at 372, with 3,613 active cases out of which 29 are in critical conditions, while 79 are severely ill.
The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) on Monday, January 25, 2021, recommended to President Akufo Addo to immediately placed restrictions on Church Services other social gatherings and regulates market activities across the country to help curb the spread of Covid-19
GMA is worried over the widespread disregard of the preventive protocols of Covid-19 amidst rising cases warning that the situation may worsen if pragmatic and stringent measures are not rolled out.
Source: Mybrytfmonline.com/Obed Ansah
