Are we ready for a lockdown?

Source:  Ghanaian Times Online | 26 March 2020

The Trade Union Congress (TUC) yesterday joined some health experts and individuals in calling on the government to lock down the country following the continuing rise in the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country.

They appealed to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, not to hesitate to completely lock down the country as a means of protecting the citizenry against the deadly COVID-19.

According to those who are pushing for the lockdown, the risk of spread of the virus in the country remained high as community spread had already set in.

As of yesterday, the country has recorded 53 confirmed cases, with two deaths. The increase in the number of the confirmed cases is obviously the main reason for the call on the President to order the lockdown of the country.

For many of those who argue in favour of the lockdown, the country’s health system is not well equipped to address any mass outbreak of COVID-19.

“Our Intensive Care Units (ICUs) can hold only a few patients at a time. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has already warned of a potential catastrophe in Africa if more radical measures are not taken now.

“The experiences of advanced countries in the last few weeks have shown that no country has the health infrastructure to deal with COVID-19 totally as a result the success of the fight against spread depended on the efficacy of political measures,” the TUC said.

But the government does not think that it is appropriate at this time to lock down the country.

The Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah said that the government was not considering an imminent shutdown of the country despite the rise in the country’s confirmed cases of the deadly coronavirus disease.

According to him, the fact that other countries resorted to lockdowns in their jurisdictions to contain the disease did not mean Ghana must necessarily do same.

He emphasised that the dynamics of each country were different and unique.

“There is a lot of talk and agitation to go on a lockdown because we are seeing it happen in other places. Jurisdictions have different dynamics when it comes to even food supply or essential living supply. So, the decision to lockdown or not, is not one that is taken lightly or because we see other places doing it.”

Honestly, we are no experts in this area and we are not going to take sides in this matter. What we do know is that we are not in normal times and the situation is very scary.

We would at all times support the government to take extreme but necessary measures at the right time in combating the spread of the virus.

The Ghanaian Times have followed the decisions taken by various countries in the wake of the outbreak. Some have been helpful while others have not.

It is our prayer that the government would not hesitate to implement the right measures at the right time to protect the people from the deadly virus.

We trust that everyone would contribute ideas and knowledge towards the national effort in combating the deadly COVID-19.