President Akufo-Addo has banned weddings, concerts and parties until further notice.
In his 23rd address to the nation on measures government is taking to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus, said private burials should not exceed 25 people.
He said the situation in the country is getting dire as the daily infection has moved from 200 to 700 cases.
“In effect, fellow Ghanaians, we have a lot of work to do in coming to grips with the disease.
“The imposition of restrictions on our daily routines helped in reducing the prevalence of the pandemic in the country, and government has been left with no option but to re-introduce some of these restrictions in order to help save the situation,” he said.
He added, “So, until further notice, funerals, weddings, concerts, theatrical performances, and parties are banned. Private burials, with no more than 25 people, can take place, with the enforcement of the social distancing, hygiene and mask-wearing protocols.”
President Akufo-Addo said beaches, night clubs, cinemas, and pubs continue to be shut.
Also, the country’s borders by land and sea remain closed.
Ban on public gatherings to curb Covid-19 in 2020
The President first banned all public gatherings on March 15, 2020, in his eighth televised broadcast to curb the spread of Covid-19 in the country.
At the time, Ghana had recorded only six cases of the disease.
In his ninth address, President Akufo-Addo extended the ban on public gatherings until the end of May 2020.
On June 5, 2020, President Akufo-Addo announced as part of easing Covid-19 restrictions that up to 100 worshipers can congregate in churches, mosques and other places of worship.
GMA threatens strike if government doesn’t ban public gatherings
Although the country was recording a few active cases with the hospital having zero admissions, neglect for Covid-19 safety protocols has contributed to a surge in the number of active cases.
The General Secretary of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has threatened to embark on a strike should government fail to impose restrictions on social gatherings as the surge in active Covid-19 cases persist.
Dr Justice Yankson on Saturday stressed that already health facilities are “on their knees”.
He, therefore, reiterated calls for rigorous measures need to be implemented in order to curb the spike of the disease.
“The issue is very simple, and we can only advice, and we can only advocate. The worst-case scenario is that we put our tools down but that might not be the solution for this pandemic because we don’t control the public purse, we don’t control the executive power. So we keep advising government,” he said.
