Avoid spread of COVID-19 during Christmas festivities – Nana Addo to Ghanaians

President Akufo-Addo has urged Ghanaians to adhere to COVID-19 safety protocols ahead of the Christmas holidays and expected merrymaking. 

In his 20th update on the management of the coronavirus pandemic in Ghana, he urged Ghanaians to “err on the side of caution and observe the COVID-19 safety protocols no matter where we find ourselves.”

President Akufo-Addo acknowledged that family reunions, parties and many social and religious gatherings are certain to take place but noted that “if you must host or attend such events, they are best held safely outdoors or in very well-ventilated halls, rather than in closed, air-conditioned spaces.”

“Even when organised outdoors, there must be adequate spacing for the maintenance of social distancing. Organisers of such events, public or private, should ensure the presence of ‘Veronica’ buckets, soap and sanitisers, and must insist that patrons use them as frequently as possible,” he added.

Furthermore, he urged all persons with underlying ailments, “such as hypertension, diabetes, chronic liver disease, and asthma to pay particular attention to their health during the festive season.”

President Akufo-Addo’s last address was on November 8 when Ghana had 1,139 active cases of the virus.

But in the weeks since then, President Akufo-Addo says there has been an improvement with Ghana’s situation despite the election season that saw campaign events breach protocols.

Ghana’s active cases have reduced from 1,139 to 946 as at Friday, December 18, according to President Akufo-Addo.

There have also been 52,675 discharges and 333 deaths from 53,954 detected infections.

He disclosed that hospitalisation rates continued to be very low and “our treatment centres are virtually empty.”

President Akufo-Addo further thanked Ghanaians for contributing to the improvement and adhering to the safety protocols.

“My fellow Ghanaians, I make this plea to all of you to ensure compliance and mask-wearing protocols in our daily routines. This will help us in our fight against the virus,” he said.