The National Democratic Congress (NDC) COVID-19 Technical Team has warned that lifting restrictions imposed on some parts of Accra and Kumasi is premature and dangerous.
According to the team, the move could result in a significant escalation in the numbers of cases beyond the 1,048.
A statement issued by Chairman of the Team, Mr. Prosper Bani, noted that Ghana has not met the six criteria stipulated by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a basis for lifting restrictions on movement to combat COVID-19.
“Our position is that the virus is not yet under adequate control in Ghana to merit any ease of restrictions on movement at this time.”
“In respecting the prerogative of the President to manage this virus in our beloved country as he deems fit, it is our view, based on our assessment of the data presented by the government thus far, that the lifting of the restrictions is premature and dangerous,” part of the statement read.
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The team stressed that more organized and strategic work is required to cushion the citizenry from multiple negative economic implications of the disease.
Read the full text of the statement below:
COVID-19 TECHNICAL RESPONSE TEAM –MEDIA STATEMENT LIFTING OF RESTRICTIONS ACCRA
The NDC – Covid 19 Technical Team listened to the address of President Akufo Addo on Sunday, the 19th April 2020 at 9:00pm. In his address, the President stated that there would be a lifting of restrictions on movement in all locked down localities across the country effective Monday 20th April 2020.
Prior to the Presidential address, on Saturday, the 18th of April 2020 at 2:30pm, the NDC Covid – 19 Technical Team presented a second round of detailed recommendations to government highlighting the following among many issues:
- Testing & Contact Tracing: The need for greater clarity in the method government is using to do contact tracing and the need for greater circumspection in government communications that seek to suggest that the numbers they have, are representative of the prevalance of the virus in the population while robust mass testing figures are yet to be made available.
- Community Impact Mitigation: The urgent need for a consolidated strategic plan for food distribution to vulnerable persons was mentioned including PWD, with an immediate stop to distributing cooked food and greater emphasis on applying a humanitarian effort to support evacuation of vulnerable persons to their hometowns managed by appropriate agencies including State Transport and the Ghana Armed Forces. Conducting an immediate probe into allegations of partisan based food distribution to secure public confidence and trust superseding political rhetoric was also suggested.
- Health System Strengthening: Addressing the clear and present danger of gaps in preparedness of Ghana’s health systems to combat the virus which are further exacerbated by undeniable outstanding issues of access to PPE distribution to frontline health workers across regions and constituencies was highlighted. Placing signifcantly more speed behind procurement of COVID-19 specific medications and the continuous and alarming lack of public knowledge of COVID-19 still prevailing, and as such, requiring greater transparency in patient management plus full disclosure of all isolation centers in-country was also put forward.
- Health Education: The desperate need for a clear concise strategic plan for health education to include traditional authorities, peer to peer educators, “community education champions” and other key stakeholders to reach communities to create and sustain behavioural change was stated.
This is patently obvious in light of the ongoing incidences of inappropriate behaviours consistent with denial and general apathy to the seriousness of this pandemic even at this stage of increasing numbers of cases.
- Data Release and Information Management : The need for better intellectual integrity and consistency in reporting on cases with daily updates at fixed times as being essential for building public trust was also articulated.
Also: Akufo-Addo: Lockdown lifted but country not safe from COVID-19
In respecting the prerogative of the President to manage this virus in our beloved country as he deems fit, it is our view, based on our assessment of the data presented by government thus far, that the lifting of the restrictions are premature and dangerous and would most likely result in a significant escalation in the numbers of cases beyond the 1048 we presently have, as stated by government.
In referencing the technical recommendations we offered, we also draw attention to the fact that even by international standards, we do not unequivocally meet any of the six criteria stipulated by the World Health Organization as a basis for lifting restrictions on movement to combat Covid-19. i.e.
- Disease transmission is under control
- Health systems are able to detect, test, isolate and treat EVERY case and trace EVERY contact
- Hot spots risks are minimized in vulnerable places
- Schools, workplaces and other essential places have established preventative measures
- The risk of importing new cases can be managed – (i.e In effect, incidents of persons infiltrating unauthorized routes along our borders, running away when identified for testing and subsequently can’t be traced, is no longer an issue)
- Communities are fully educated, engaged and empowered to live under a new normal.
This international standard, if nothing else, should act as a guide, given the experiences so many other countries have had with premature lifting of restrictions and the calamities those nations are still facing despite the significantly greater resources available to them versus what we have on hand as a country now in crisis.
Members of this Technical Team are acutely aware of the vulnerability of the economic circumstances of a vast majority of Ghanaians who have struggled with daily food supplies in this period.
Indeed, many team members have been directly involved in daily interventions where government interventions have unfortunately been woefully lacking.
We are confident that the options we proposed in our community impact mitigation strategies should apply in favour of protecting the lives of all Ghanaians from further risk of infection and potential morbidity.
In addition, every country that has been touched by this virus, has suffered significant economic difficulty.
The true test of the fiscal resilience for every country has been in the quality of the planning and preparation as well as the seriousness with which the pandemic has been managed.
We propose that in Ghana, if we are to turn the tide, far more organized and strategic work is urgently required to cushion our citizens from the multiple negative economic implications of Covid-19.
Our position is that the virus is not yet under adequate control in Ghana to merit any ease of restrictions on movement at this time.
We are mindful of the fact that a backlog of tests from samples of about 10,000 took us from 600+ cases to 1000+ cases.
With over 18,000+ samples yet to be tested, there is a higher probability that our cases may surge as we are yet to get to our peak.
We believe these backlog samples are from primary or secondary contacts who have in turn made several contacts in the chain of human interactions and whose test results are yet to be ascertained.
Looking at the return to activities defying the basic social distancing protocols as recommended, we put ourselves in a very precarious situation for a potential second wave of infections.
If government has data outside what has been presented publicly that has informed this decision, we request public disclosure in order that we can continue to support a non-partisan push to win the day.
Until that information is available, we encourage Ghanaians to avoid a false sense of security and continue to stay at home as much as possible, avoid non-essential movement and respect all health protocols outlined from the onset.
We remain committed as technical experts to our primary goal to share information that protects the right of every Ghanaian to prepare, fight and defeat this virus.
Signed for and on behalf of the NDC Covid-19 Technical Team
Chairman – Hon. Prosper Bani
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