Mr Benjamin Kojo Otoo, District Chief Executive (DCE) for Gomoa Central has bemoaned how COVID-19 health and safety Protocols were being flouted with impunity in the District.

He said it was sad to see dead bodies laid in state with mourners traveling from far and near to file past them and warned that there was a looming crisis of the pandemic in the area.

“These mourners violate with impunity the wearing of nose masks, social distancing and other safety and health protocols put in place by President AKufo-Addo and Ghana Health Service to contain the virus”.

Mr Otoo expressed these concerns in an interaction with the Media after the second phase of the Gomoa Central disinfection was carried out. The disinfection exercise is part of a nationwide exercise by the government to tame the pandemic.

Markets, Police stations, community centers, health facilities, SHSs and other public places were all disinfected to check the spread of the disease.

The DCE expressed disappointment that some heads of clan and elders disrespected the directives on private funerals and have turned it into ‘something else’.

He cautioned that ban on mass funerals have not been lifted and it was only private funerals which could be organized as directed by the President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in his 14th address to the nation recently.

He therefore appealed to the divisional and sub-chiefs in the Area to educate their families about the dangers of the disease and it devastating effect when contracted and stop organizing huge funerals.

According to the DCE, the Member of Parliament for Gomoa Central, Mrs Naana Eyiah Quansah in collaboration with the District Assembly, had distributed over 350,000 nose masks, veronica buckets, tissue papers, alcohol based hand sanitizers and others to the residents to protect themselves.

The DCE said the COVID-19 taskforce formed by the District Assembly in collaboration with the Ghana Health Service was seriously monitoring the situation to ensure safety of the people in the District.

He assured that the Taskforce would continue to intensify its educational campaign against the spread of the virus, but the residents must play their parts by adhering to the protocols and not joke with the deadly virus.

The DCE said as part of efforts to step up the fight against COVID-19 Pandemic, the District Assembly had procured more PPEs and had started distribution to churches and mosques in the District.

He called on the pastors and Chief Imams to use their pulpits to preach on the dangers of COVID-19 to their members and the need to strictly observe the safety and health protocols.

On the exercise, Mr Otoo said the scope of the disinfection exercise was widened to cover more areas, which were not captured in the first phase.