The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) as part of its broad objective of leaving no one behind in COVID-19 public education, has venture into Chorkor which is mainly a fishing neighbourhood in the Accra Metropolis.

The NCCE Ablekum South sub-metro office has rolled-out COVID-19 Public Education programme with residents of Chorkor a densely populated community, to ensure that people understand the dangers of the disease.

Ms Druscilla Lartey, the NCCE Officer-in-Charge, reiterated the need for a change in the COVID-19 advocacy language to reinvigorate the sense of urgency stressing that, “the pandemic is deadly therefore we must all work together to stop the spread.

“The easing of restrictions does not mean it is all over. No! rather the state has imposed an obligation on every citizen a sense of responsibility to serve as the first line of front workers to stop the spread.

“Stop COVID-19 at your door step, and let me also stop it at my door step, we will together defeat the pandemic,” Ms Lartey stated during the cluster of engagement at Chorkor.

She expressed regret that scores of Ghanaians were beginning to develop lukewarm attitude towards the fight against COVID-19, “young men playing football at the local fields without any precautions, men and women at the sea shore engaging in brisk business, and the markets choked”.

“It is unacceptable for people to refuse to practice social distancing and also refused to wear the mask claiming they are tired, these are anti-social activities and behaviour, which works against our collective aim to deal with the pandemic”.

Ms Lartey noted, “You cannot see COVID-19 with your naked eyes, people who have even been infected at the early stages, may not exhibit any signs at all, therefore we must all join forces to fight it”.

The NCCE education programme also captured the Commission’s ongoing Accountability, Rule of Law, and Anti-corruption (ARAP) project, which requires inciting the public to campaign, advocate and lobby for an increased accountability from public office holders as well as demand reduction in corruption in Ghana.

She said whiles engaging the public on COVID-19, the Commission had linked it to good environmental governance practices, which were necessary tools to combat the pandemic.

Ms Lartey explained that maintaining good environmental practices were critical to the fight against the spread of COVID-19, and called on residents to observe good personal hygiene as well as observe safety protocols as outlined by the World Health Organisation and the Ghana Health Service.

She also discounted local myths and rumours within the communities, which was working against the effort to control the spread of COVID-19, stressing that, “local drink akpeteshie cannot kill the virus, there is no-known cure, and COVID-19 is not an elite’s disease”.

She said even though the message surrounding adherence to the WHO and GHS’s preventive protocols seemed repetitive, “it is the only means for protecting and controlling the spread of COVID-19”.

She stressed the need for rigid enforcement of preventive health protocols as the way out and commended government for the compulsory wearing of masks policy.