The President of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has stated that now, citizens can freely go about shaking hands and hugging their loved ones.

This, he said, is because no longer should people be worried about contracting the novel Coronavirus through such everyday activities.

The president said this when he addressed the country on Sunday, May 28, 2023, in his last update on the country’s preparedness towards the fight against COVID-19.

“That culturally defining Ghanaian symbol, the handshake, was prohibited and frowned upon and we were advised not to hug our children and our loved ones...

“… Fellow Ghanaians, throughout these trying times, I kept urging all of you to believe that this, too, shall pass. Dare I say that this too has passed? The emergency is over, and we can safely lift many of the oppressive restrictions we have had to endure, we can shake hands, we can hug, we can visit, and we no longer have to wear masks,” he said.

The president, however, urged that such practices as the “regular hand washing and other personal hygiene measures” be maintained “so they become entrenched national habits.”

The address by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo also provided an update on the IMF deal reached by the government.

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