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COVID-19 in Ghana: Rising Cases, Demotivated Contact Tracers and A Careless Society

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As at this morning, the case count for COVID-19 stood at 11, 118 with 7,091 still living with the virus. That is 262 cases increase from yesterday. And the death toll hits 48.

Yesterday, the Mayor of Sekondi-Takoradi Municipal Assembly, allegedly lost his life to COVID 19.

Members of parliament, yesterday, expressed worries that their counterparts who allegedly tested positive for COVID19 still attend parliamentary duties normally. They expressed fear of a spread in parliament.

If members of parliament, who are supposed to be leaders act in this manner, I don’t think I need to talk much about the populace.

All over Ghana, there seems to be a growing apathy and carelessness being exhibited towards the Pandemic.

People are no longer careful about the preventive protocols – even the contact tracers.

I had reported a suspected COVID19 case and I was told to bring the person to the hospital for his samples to be taken.

I went to see the person and he said he is not moving an inch from the house. A stubborn patient.

So I went back to the hospital to discuss how we can handle the issues.

The COVID 19 contact tracer told me “If he doesn’t want to come leave him, whenever he is ready, you know where to find us”.

As much as I was appalled, I sighed deeper. The contact tracers are now demotivated. Their 150gh daily allowance, promised by the president, has been slashed to 75gh daily.

And even with that, some claim they don’t know how the allowances are being disbursed.

I was therefore not surprised when the Contract Tracing teams in Kumasi released a statement on an intended strike.

Though the President, Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo, has shown enough leadership during this Pandemic times, I think he was so diplomatic for the citizens to understand the dangers of the disease.

The whole government machinery, in trying to spread calm, have downplayed the effects of the virus to the point where some don’t even believe it exists.

The president despite all his efforts, overrated the average Ghanaian to be fully responsible for his healthand safety.

Some of us knew this would happen.

What is so scary now is that we are not testing as much as we used to do about a month ago. But we keep getting higher daily recorded infections that the previous months. This is quite worrying.

I am looking forward to the president acting based on his science and data, to take drastic actions before all his efforts over the last 3 months becomes useless.

In the meanwhile, I keep saying, you are on your own. It will be difficult to even get a contract tracer to come for your samples.

We are now beginning to experience shortage of health resources.

Stay safe. You are responsible for your safety.

Source: Ghanafeed.com

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