The Environmental Health Departments of New Juaben North and South Assemblies in the Eastern Region have admonished families to quarantine returnees who have fled from areas lockdown to Koforidua.
Ghana has recorded 152 confirmed cases of coronavirus with five (5) fatalities as of March 29, 2020.
President of Ghana Akufo-Addo on Friday night of March 27, 2020, announced partial lockdown of the Nation’s Capital-Accra and Parts of Ashanti Region as an enhanced measure to prevent increasing community spread having closed down all Borders -Land, sea and Air space.
The lockdown takes effect Monday dawn with essential workers exempted from the two weeks lockdown. This has led to a panic exodus of migrants in the affected areas to their hometowns and villages.
A joint statement issued urged that such persons must not be allowed to mingle with family members in their households until they complete the 14 days mandatory quarantine.
“The Environmental Health and Sanitation Unit of New Juaben North and South is calling on every family in all communities to be STRONGLY ADVISED to find a separate room for any of their RELATION returning from OTHER REGIONS FOR 14 DAYS”
“During this period strict social distancing should be applied with the returnees. They should not mingle freely with anyone in their homes and need to be observed closely for any Fever, cough, breathlessness, sore throat and running nose. If the above signs and symptoms are found, a visit should be made immediately to the nearest Health Centre for further advice and action”
The Statement added that “If after the two weeks there are no signs of the disease, then they can now move freely among the household members. This advice should be taken very seriously to protect the relations of returnees in particular and other community members at large”.
Meanwhile, the Municipal Chief Executive for New Juaben South Isaac Appaw Gyasi and the New Juaben Traditional Council have expressed worry over the panic movement of people from Areas to be lockdown to Koforidua.
Among the people fleeing to Koforidua are Students of Koforidua Technical University and All Nations University. Whilst others have reportedly returned to their private hostels, others are perching with their school mates who are residents.
This worrying phenomenon compelled the New Juaben Traditional Council and the Municipal Assembly to hold a joint press conference on Saturday.
The Municipal Chief Executive for New Juaben South, Isaac Appaw Gyasi explained that “I’ve received a lot of calls prompting me about an influx of travelers from Kumasi, Accra, Kasoa and other cities to Koforidua. As the Municipal Chief Executive, I was alarmed by this strange panic movement”.
He added “I’m pleading with people from the affected cities not to panic and move around as counseled by His Excellency the President. Let’s support the extraordinary leadership qualities exhibited by the President and abide by all the protocols he has put in place. Ghana, under the able leadership of our President, shall pull through this pandemic, COVID-19 successfully”.
Meanwhile, the MCE has hinted plans to meet various transport Unions, Security agencies and all other major stakeholders to help address this worrying phenomenon to help avert the spread of coronavirus to the Regional Capital.
The Gyasehene of New Juaben Traditional Area, Nana Twumasi Dakwah, on his part, admonished all those fleeing to New Juaben to return to their places of abode.
He said, their action to seek refuge in Koforidua will endanger the health of residents in the municipality. He cited that similar panic movements happened in Italy which caused the spread of the disease at an alarming rate which has become crises with thousands of people dying.
Source: Mybrytfmonline/Obed Ansah
