As the COVID-19 drama continues to unfold, it is becoming increasingly clear that the developing world is most likely to pay a greater price for the pandemic. Ghana seems to be racing behind the virus but the majority of the population still goes about their bread and butter following very little or no protocols that are known to aid suppression of the spread of the virus. We are neither adhering to the frequent hand wash nor sanitizing measures and we are using our protective masks to cover our beards even in crowded areas.
According to Dr. Anthony Nsiah-Asare on PM Express, a model generated for COVID-19 in Ghana projects 15,000 deaths out of an estimated 10% of the population (i.e. 3,000,000 out of an estimated population of 30,000,000) being infected with the majority of this 10% likely to be asymptomatic.
Read also: MEMOIRS OF A CONCERNED CITIZEN ON COVID-19 (PART 1)
Which means there’s the likelihood of COVID-19 positive people still roaming the streets and markets infecting the susceptible considering there’s very little change in our daily activities as a nation post-lockdown.
Out of this projection, it is worth noting that only 4,012 cases (13.37% of the projected) and 18 deaths making up 0.12% of the projection has been recorded so far.
Of this projection, we have recorded an infinitesimal amount but the lockdown was lifted in the COVID-19 hot-spots with fewer or no enforcements of COVID-19 mitigating measures.
Most of our markets are still operating at full capacity. An example is the Agormanya market in the Manya Krobo Municipality of the Eastern Region where they had to change the major market days. I would like to know whether the virus goes on leave on these new days set or humans wouldn’t be marketing?
I was there personally and I must say, what I saw is nothing to write home about. The market in Nkurakan is another eyesore I witnessed on my way to Koforidua a few weeks ago.
According to the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Patrick Kuma Aboagye and Dr. Emmanuel Tinkorang, the Ashanti Regional Health Director, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research and Kumasi Center for Collaborative Research have cleared all backlogs. Thus, we would now be dealing with real-time data. After this declaration, Ghana recorded 921 additional cases on May 8, 2020. Thus raising the case count to 4,012.
Before that, it was said at the press briefing held on May 7, 2020, that we had reached our peak.
The government keeps saying its decisions are backed by Science and data. If that is the case then I’d like to believe all decisions are aimed at not reaching the projection but unfortunately, it does not seem so considering the rate at which cases keep increasing with 88% of the infected being local infections as at April 30, 2020, on the Ghana Health Service website. A feature that is no longer on the website. Does it mean our borders are 100% secured such that we no longer have locals in border towns helping citizens and therefore foreigners enter the country illegally and thereby credible to infer that we are dealing with only local cases now?
Read also: MEMOIRS OF A CONCERNED CITIZEN ON COVID-19. (Part 2)
If the Government is not providing the basic reproduction ratio of the infection, which is ideal for decision making in these times then the decisions are questionable because our human interactions among others are a factor in determining the basic reproduction ratio but not much has changed. Even if decisions are being taken considering the figures available as against the projections then we are not doing much as a country at all since cases keep increasing at a greater rate as compared to the rate of recovery.
Are the decisions informed by Science and data or by pseudo-science?
Lockdown might be the best measure to suppress the spread of COVID-19 but not the best for the economy. Does it mean we have to choose the economy over human lives when the president said, “We know how to bring the economy back to life. What we do not know is how to bring people back to life”?
The answer is no; but what is the Government doing after lifting the lockdown to prevent the virus from forcing us into hiding before the need arises for another lockdown?
Do we have personnel strictly enforcing the measures put in place or we expect the populace to take care of themselves when we still have people who do not believe COVID-19 is real?
People are going about their normal activities as if we are out of the woods.
Read also: MEMOIRS OF A CONCERNED CITIZEN ON COVID-19 (PART 3)
Unfortunately, a virus that knows nothing like social classes is being politicized. It is quite natural for any leader to want the people’s favor especially in an election year when the leader is seeking a second term. To say otherwise is fallacious and that is why the opposition would also fight to provide for the citizens in these times although it is a humanitarian act.
I have heard authorities claim on countless occasions that Ghana is doing well and therefore other countries are learning from us. This is not the time for us to make decisions in haste although our decisions have to be proactive. We don’t have to rush and think the world is learning from us.
If we want to go back to life as it used to be, then Mr. President, in your next address to the nation, I think it would be best to put in place iron measures to enforce protocols all over the nation.
This is surely not the time to seek validation but the time to be bold in making decisions and I believe time will unveil the consequences of every decision. Let posterity judge.
God bless Ghana.
Edmund E. Terkpernor,
May 9, 2020.
Worth the read.
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