The Ghana Police Service and personnel of the Ghana Armed Forces on Thursday scale-up roadblocks and check points to enforce restrictions and movements persons within the Greater Accra Region.
Ghana News Agency
observatory team across the metropolis noticed the visibility of security
operatives who have mounted barricades on some principal streets, checking occupants
of both private and commercial vehicles to ensure strict adherence to the
COVID-19 protocols.
Operation COVID Safety which started on Monday
March 30 in the Greater Accra, Greater Kumasi and Kasoa started with moderate
security visibility and activity but due to behaviour of some members of the
public, enforcement has been scale up.
GNA noticed that, on the Accra-Madina road,
there were about six road blocks manned by Operation COVID Safety team
comprising the Military, Police and other security teams to ensure that both
commercial and private cars occupants do not exceed the required number of
passengers on board.
There was also road blocks on the Accra to
Nsawam, Abelemkpe to Accra, Odorkor to Accra, Achimota to Accra, Dansoman to
Accra. All routes leading to the Central Business Districts have road blocks.
The security team who are adhering to tenets of
democratic policing would ask the occupants of vehicles, where they were coming
from, their final destination, and their occupation and inspect their identity
cards before they are allowed to continue their journey or returned.
The GNA also observed that the Operation COVID
Safety team forced people who are not classified as essential service providers
to alight and return home. They used the opportunity to educate people on the
need to stay home.
The team also observed that the inspection of
vehicles created some traffic on those roads.
Some passengers were seen stranded because they
have been ordered to alight from their respective commercial vehicles midway
for breaking the law on restriction of movement because they are persons not
exempted.
The team observed that after 1000 hours, no
commercial vehicle from Madina and its environs were allowed to enter the Accra
Central business district and that such vehicle drivers were asked to alight
their passengers at the Ridge roundabout.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Friday,
March 27, announced a restriction of movements in the Greater Accra
Metropolitan Area and the Greater Kumasi Metropolitan Area and Kasoa from 0100
hours on Monday, March 30, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
According to authorities, all individuals are
advised to stay at home as much as possible for the next two weeks and will
only be allowed to leave their homes for essential items such as food,
medicine, and water, or to visit the bank and public toilets.
Additionally, inter-city travel for private and
commercial purposes, except for essential goods and services have been
suspended and also all intra-city travel vehicles must also reduce the number
of passengers to observe social distancing.
Meanwhile, Ghana’s borders remain closed as of
Sunday, March 22, for two weeks to limit the spread of COVID-19 in the country.
As such the country has been closed to all but
returning Ghanaians and foreign nationals with Ghanaian residents’ permits.
They will all be subject to a 14-day mandatory quarantine.
Source: Ghana News Agency