Correspondence from Eastern Region

Akosombo Divisional Motor Transport and Traffic Department (MTTD) Commander, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Daniel Yeboah is confident that measures being put in place to check the spread of the coronavirus would work in the long term.

The Eastern Region as of Thursday, February 4, 2021 had recorded 322 active cases of COVID-19, 70 of them in the Asuogyaman District.

There are reported spikes in the number of infections in the Asuogyaman District and the Police Commander said the police, in compliance with President Akufo-Addo’s directive to the Inspector General of Police to enforce the observance of all safety protocols, particularly the wearing of face mask by the public, had mounted various checkpoints to ensure compliance with the nose wearing directive.

“We have put a lot of plans in place, since Monday, I’ve deployed my men who are on the grounds there. Any car that comes they stop [to check] if all occupants are in their nose masks. Apart from that we have sent signals to the other police stations around to also see to it that [they comply],” said the Commander.

“The measures are encouraging and they are beginning to understand. A lot of measures have been put in place and it is working,” he added.

ASP Yeboah said people were now appreciation the reality of the disease together with the implications and are hence ready to comply with the safety protocols, particularly the wearing of face masks.

“It is encouraging, people are complying with the directives. Now that we’re on the roads trying to check all those things. They have seen the seriousness of the situation. It’s not like the former days when they say it’s not true. This time it’s like the awareness is coming back, gradually, I think we’ll succeed,” the confident Police Commander said.

According to him, the police is employing tactful means to deal with the situation and reluctant to use force.

An undisclosed number of persons were arrested in the District last week for failing to wear the mandatory nose mask.

They were arrested within various parts of the Asuogyaman District in a special operation led by the commander and his team.

The Commander said those arrested were sent to the Akosombo Divisional Police Command, where they took their caution statements.

He explained that the operation was targeted at enforcing the directive on the mandatory wearing of the face masks, as part of measures to check the spread of the coronavirus in the district.

ASP Daniel Yeboah indicated that in line with enforcing the law, policemen were deployed at various points in the district to ensure that all persons moving about had masked up or be sanctioned. Those arrested were later cautioned and released.