Veteran journalist, Kwesi Pratt Junior has called on President Akufo-Addo to as a matter of urgency consider re-instituting a lockdown as the nation’s infection rate at a worrying rate.
The Managing Editor of the Insight Newspaper opined that it appears the government is prioritizing salvaging the economy over the lives of the citizens hence the withdrawal of the initial three-week partial lockdown, a situation he describes as totally out of place.
President Akufo-Addo imposed an initial two-week lockdown in Accra and Kumasi and extended it for an extra week to enable health professionals to embark on contact tracing and enhanced surveillance.
The ban was lifted by the President on the basis that the country had gone ahead of the virus and significantly identified and isolated suspected cases which reduced the rate of spread of the virus in Ghana.
Kwesi Pratt says considering the confirmed cases of the virus in the country which is gradually approaching 3000, it will be more prudent for the government to revisit the lockdown.
Speaking on Accra-based Peace FM on Tuesday, May 30, 2020, the ace journalist explained that “We are not in normal times and therefore the choices we have to make these times are grim choices. There is no choice without consequences but the most important thing we must consider in our choices is how to contain the spread of the virus. That is number one. What are the ways to save lives? That is number two. These are the two important things that must be paramount in every decision. Any other consideration is not important for now.
He further expressed that “In the president’s seventh address to the nation, he said something which is worth noting. He said although we are lifting the lockdown, he will impose a curfew if citizens abuse the lifting of the lockdown. If we know there is the possibility that the virus can escalate for a curfew to be imposed, why don’t we do it early.
“If we say the vulnerable are suffering hence the need to lift the lockdown, the intended curfew is even stiffer and serious than the lockdown. So why don’t we do it once and for all so that we can all have our peace of mind but to wait for the virus to spread before imposing a curfew? I don’t understand when I think about it,” he opined.
