There is no doubt that the attention of almost every single person in the world today is firmly focused on the novel Corona Viral Infectious Disease (COVID-19) pandemic raging across the globe.
The coronavirus disease, the first case of which was reported in Wuhan, China, in December last year, has spread rapidly and exponentially to all parts of the world, bringing in its wake untold fear, panic and anxiety and unbelievable havoc, infections and deaths among people.
As at the time of writing this article, the global statistics indicate that the virus has infected around 2.4 million people across the world, with more than 610,000 recoveries and about 170, 000 deaths.
Currently, the worst affected countries in the world are the USA, Spain, Italy, France, Germany, the UK and mainland China. Despite many reported cases across Africa, the continent of Africa for now does not seem to have been badly hit by the virus, but experts particularly from the World Health Organization (WHO), are warning that the African continent risks becoming the next epicenter of the pandemic. This is a scary prediction worth taking note of by all African Governments and leaders of our continent.
Today, in an effort to halt the further rapid spread of the virus, all countries in the world have instituted various measures including but not limited to social distancing of people, the closure of schools and non-essential businesses, as well as lockdowns of cities and towns with people asked to stay at home. At the moment, nobody in the world knows when the corona virus situation will be “over” for life to return to normal, but as Dr. Anthony Fauci, the topmost US doctor on infectious diseases says, the world will never return to “normal life,” namely, the life of the pre-corona period, because the virus has come to stay with us.
Thus, it is important for all people in the world to begin to embrace themselves for the “new normal” life in the post-corona virus pandemic period which will inevitably see enhanced hand sanitization, regular screening of people at airports, schools, sporting and other major events where crowds gather in numbers, and (limited) observance of social distancing protocol, among other measures. Thus, the bottom line is that life will never be the same after the corona virus ebbs away.
COVID-19 and the Ghanaian Context: An Overview
Like all countries in the world, Ghana is also affected by the outbreak of the corona virus disease. Since the first case of the virus was reported in Ghana on March 12 this year, Ghana has recorded till date 1,042 cases, with 99 recoveries and nine deaths. According to Hon. Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, the Minister of Information, the accurate statistics on the virus has been made possible due to the quarantining of travelers into the country, and enhanced testing and tracing of contacts. It is predicted that these statistics will change in the days, weeks and months ahead.
On March 15, H. E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the President of the Republic, made his first public address on the situation of the virus to the nation. In that address, the President announced the banning of all social gatherings and meetings, including weddings, Church and other religious services, for a period of two weeks, making an exception only for the holding of private funerals with a maximum of 25 people in attendance.
In five subsequent addresses, the President further outlined various other measures which have seen the closure of all the country’s borders (air, land and sea), and the implementation of partial lockdown measures in Accra, Tema, Kasoa and Kumasi. The partial lockdown measures in the above-mentioned cities and towns have since April 19 been lifted with the seventh address of the President, prompting some residents in these areas to pour into the streets to jubilate. Ghana’s borders however remain closed just as the ban on social gatherings.
In its effort to give some relief to all citizens as they spend most time staying at home within this period, the Government has absorbed water bills for the months of April, May and June, and 50 percent of electricity tariffs within the same period. Additionally, frontline health workers have been given a special life insurance cover package as an incentive for the risks they face and the sacrifices they are making to the challenge at hand while a fund for soft loans has been established for businesses to access it.
Following the above relief packages, numerous calls have also been made for the Government to consider absorbing house rents and for data cost to be reduced. These calls have not yet been granted, but there is still time for them to be considered depending on how the situation unfolds in the days and weeks ahead. Watch out for part 2
Source: Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Abbey-Quaye, Duquesne University, Pa.
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