President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has signed an Executive Instrument criminalizing non-wearing of face mask in public places across the country, with offenders facing a jail term of up to 10 years.

Anyone found guilty of not wearing face mask that completely covers his nose and mouth, per the E.I 164, faces either a fine of not less than 12,000 cedis and not more than 60,000 cedis or a minimum of four years in jail or a maximum of 10 years.

The courts have also been empowered to hand over both a fine and jail term as punishment for all offenders.

Per section 6 of the Imposition of Restrictions Act, any person who fails to wear face mask as required by the E.I “is liable on summary conviction to a fine of not less than 1,000 penalty unit and not more than 5,000 penalty units or to a term of imprisonment not less than four years and not more than 10 years or to both.”

A penalty unit equals 12 cedis.

The Ghana Police has been mandated to enforce compliance of the E.I 164 which was signed by President on June 15.

The mandatory wearing of mask, per the E.I, shall be for a period of not more than three months.

Under the law, a person shall wear a face mask or face shield when in a public place or leaving or returning to his or her place of abode.

President Akufo-Addo in his nationwide address on covid-19 to the nation announced wearing of fase mask has now been made mandatory in the Greater Accra, Ashanti, Central and Western regions where the number of people contracting the virus has surged.

“…residents of these four regions and indeed all Ghanaians must remember that the wearing of masks is now mandatory. Leaving our homes without our face masks or face covering on is an offence,” the president said in the Sunday address.

Ghana’s coronavirus cases keep surging with the country’s case count now 12,929 of which 66 have died and 4,468 recovered.

Within the last two days, a more than 600 cases have been recorded raising concerns among health officials and the public.