Opinions of Wednesday, 19 August 2020

Columnist: Justice Phinehas Gyesi

Is social distancing no longer a preventive measure of COVID-19?

File photo: Social distancing File photo: Social distancing

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a sudden change in the ways of doing things. Due to its easy transmission, certain protocols or preventive measures were instituted by the World Health Organization (WHO).

These protocols include wearing of nose mask or face shield, social distancing, washing of hand with soap and water or frequently sanitizing of the hand. All these protocols were instituted to help curb with the spread of the Coronavirus.

Unfortunately, one of the vital of these preventive measures is always looked upon. Is it that it is no longer part of the preventive measures or it is the ignorance of the people?

The President, H.E Nana Akufo-Addo in his recent State of the Nation Addresses, keeps easing some of the restrictions or ban he placed on churches, clubs, number of people at a gathering, etc. After easing the restrictions on Drivers to take full passengers, increase of people at a gathering, and many more, things had changed. People no longer observe the social distancing protocol any longer.

My biggest shock is the fact that, as the confirmed cases keep shooting up, people attach less seriousness to the preventive measures. Permit me to share my personal observations in the country's Capital City a few days ago, which pushed me to write this article.

I visited Accra, which is the region pregnant with most of the COVID-19 confirmed cases in the country. But I was shocked to see a group of people playing a football match at one of the places in Lapaz. It didn't end me there until I saw a similar problem in Madina, which is also in the same region populated with COVID-19 cases.

I started asking myself several questions as to whether the playing of football or Soccer matches had been brought to normal or whether the security and COVID-19 task force are aware of all these? It is not only the playing of football that people are using to break the social distancing protocol but rather, there are some other means, of which I'm not ready to talk about for now.

I wouldn't like to go further so I would plead with all Ghanaians to also observe social distancing and all the COVID-19 protocols. This is the time to help ourselves, friends, and the country at large. The COVID-19 task force and all institutions responsible for monitoring the adherence of the COVID-19 safety protocols should be up and doing. With this, we can see our country defeat this deadly pandemic together. God Bless Our Homeland Ghana And Make Her Great And Strong.