General News of Tuesday, 19 January 2021

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

Close down Kindergarten and primary schools to avert coronavirus spread - Prophet

President Akufo-Addo is being admonished to close down kindergarten schools President Akufo-Addo is being admonished to close down kindergarten schools

Only a few hours after the directive by President Akufo-Addo that schools should resume academic work, a prophet has called the decision that many have widely welcomed as a rather wrong one.

Prophet Lion K.B. Acheampong, Founder and Leader of the Paradise Kingdom Ministry, has said that what seems like a wonderful decision by the president to get schools operational again will only contribute to an upsurge in the number of COVID-19 case in the country.

During his most recent address to the nation, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo expressed great disappointment and worry in the new surge in numbers of cases of the virus in the country, sending a loud indication that if the situation persists, he will have no choice but to send the country back into a partial lockdown.

Ghana's current COVID-19 cases are at 57,714 with 346 deaths and 1776 active cases - the highest since the pandemic was first recorded in the country.

COVID-19 cases have increased as the president indicated but we are still forcing the students, especially kindergarten and primary pupils, back to school. It is a very dangerous decision which the president has to do something about,” Prophet Acheampong admonished the president.

He added that it has become evident that people are no longer adhering to the protocols and even though he has instructed the police, through the Inspector General of Police, to enforce the directives in public, that will not be enough.

“Got to the markets, churches, businesses, and others and you will see that they are not adhering to the COVID-19 protocols. Some are even struggling to wear the masks for 5 minutes and so how can these small kids in kindergarten and primary schools adhere to the protocols?

“How are teachers going to enforce all the directives on the children who don’t know the need of wearing face masks and social distancing?” he quizzed.

He, therefore, called for the government to immediately close down all schools below the junior high school level so as to protect the children and also help stop the spread of the pandemic in the country.

“If it is true Ghana has recorded COVID-19 cases, then parents should look at the reopening of schools critically. They should decide whether to send their children to school or not, particularly for their kindergarten and primary wards,” he explained.