General News of Wednesday, 18 March 2020

Source: GNA

Ghanaians cooperate in the fight against COVID-19 with personal hygiene

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Following the outbreak of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the recording of six cases in the country, Ghanaians are cooperating with the directives from the Ghana Health Service (GHS) to stay safe from being infected.

The directives among others were to keep a distance of at least two metres away from an infected person, wash hands regularly with soap under running water, use hand sanitizers often, and cover mouth when coughing and nose when sneezing.

To ensure that the infection does not spread among the populace, the President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Sunday called for a suspension of public gatherings such as churches, schools and other establishments that mobilized crowds to reduce the possible rate of infection.

The Ghana News Agency (GNA) on Tuesday visited the Environmental Protection Agency’s Head office in Accra to observe the preventive measures it had put in place to protect staff and clients.

At the entrance, and point of departure, as well as vantage points, management had provided handwashing kits and hand sanitizers for staffs and clients.

There were also inscriptions that read “please wash hands thoroughly at all times before entering the building” and “please knock and wait for the doors to be open” at the entrance and exit points that were strictly enforced by some personnel of the EPA.

The GNA also observed individuals had hand sanitizers, while others were wearing nose masks and gloves.

Ms Seki Ishatu, who used to sell sachet water, said she joined the hand sanitizer, nose mask, metabolic soap and gloves business with the intention of making more money and contributing to the fight against COVID-19.

She appealed to other people trading in the same business to desist from selling the preventive support items at abnormally higher prices.

Madam Gifty Ampofo, an Evangelist who preaches from Madina to Accra, told the GNA in an interview that the pandemic was a lesson for Christians and the entire humanity to seek the face of God and trust in Him.

She said: “The good personal hygiene should not be avoided but praying more is needed. With faith, the coronavirus pandemic can be a thing of the past”.

Generally, the GNA observed that the public had attached seriousness to the directives of the GHS to aid in the fight against the pandemic.