Adhere to COVID-19 protocol— Togbi Amuzu

A renowned traditionalist, Togbi Professor Amuzu, has urged adherents of the traditional religion to adhere to the protocol announced by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to protect the nation from the Covid-19 pandemic.

He said as a traditionalist, he appreciated the excellent safety measures instituted by the President and gave an assurance that the leaders and their followers would follow religiously the measures to prevent the spread of the disease.

In an interview with the Daily Graphic, Togbi Amuzu, who is also the Chief of Kedzikope in the Keta Municipality, said he was in communication with members across the country who were practising adding that "these are not normal times and that extra caution is needed to deal with the situation, safeguard the health and lives of the people as well as secure the economy and prosperity of the current and future generations".

He further urged members of the religion to resort to information from accredited health professionals to educate their families, clients and the general public.

Fake news

He urged members of the religion and Ghanaians, in general, to be wary of fake news and adulterated information that would create unnecessary fear and panic but asked them to resort to information from credible sources such as health professionals and government accredited agencies.

Togbi Amuzu said it was incumbent on priests and members of the religion to be abreast of the required information so that they would inform the health authorities about people who exhibited symptoms of Covid-19 for appropriate and swift isolation, testing and treatment.

Hygiene

He urged members to constantly wash their hands with soap for over 20 seconds and wash them under running water, use alcohol based sanitisers, keep a distance of, at least, two metres from people they interacted with and sneeze into tissues and immediately dispose them off.

He said it was also the responsibility of the priests to educate their members to adhere to social distancing, refrain from congregating in numbers more than 25 and keep their environment clean, drink a lot of water and stop shaking hands.

Directives

President Akufo-Addo has called for ban on all public gatherings, including conferences, workshops, funerals, political rallies, sporting events and religious activities, such as services in churches and mosques have been suspended for the next four weeks. Private burials are permitted, but with limited numbers, not exceeding 25 in attendance.

All universities, senior high schools and basic schools, i.e. private and public schools, will be closed from Monday March 16, 2020 till further notice.

The Ministry of Education, in collaboration with the Ministry of Communication, has been tasked to roll out distance learning programmes. However BECE and WASSCE candidates will be allowed to attend school to prepare for their examinations but with the prescribed social distancing protocols.

The government of Ghana travel advisory also issued earlier should be observed as announced
Businesses and other work places can continue to operate. They should observe prescribed social distancing (physical) between patrons and staff.

Establishments such as supermarkets, shopping malls, restaurants, night clubs, hotels and drinking spots should observe enhanced hygiene procedures that provide hand sanitisers, running water and soap for washing of hands.

The Ministry of Transport should work with the transport unions in private and public transport operators to ensure enhanced hygienic conditions in vehicles and terminals by providing, among others, hand sanitisers, running water and soap for washing of hands.

The Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development should coordinate with the Metropolitan and Municipal and District Assemblies measures to enhance conditions and hygiene in markets across the country.