…Extends lockdown by 1 week
By Karikari Linda–theG&BJournal
FRI, APRIL 10 2020-theG&BJournal- Ghanaian President Nana Akufo Addo has by a new executive instrument extended the lockdown imposed in parts of the country by another week beginning 1 am on Monday, 13th April, and announced a raft of new palliative measures aimed at cushioning the impact of the lockdown on the citizens.
The restrictions on movement will apply in the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area and Kasoa and the Greater Kumasi Metropolitan Area.
TheG&BJournal correspondent in Accra, Ghana reports that the citizens welcome the new development and are complying fully with the preventive and palliative measures put in place so far by the government to stem the spread of the disease in the West African country.
Among the palliatives is a three month tax waiver for health care workers at the frontline of the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. They will not pay taxes on their emoluments for the next three months. The health workers will receive an additional allowance of 50% of their basic salary per month, for March, May and June. The March allowance will be paid alongside that of April.
The government also announced free distribution of water starting from April to June. Food items are now methodically distributed to the vulnerable through National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and the Metropolitan Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs), with assistance of the faith-based organisations.
The President announced in addition, that for all other consumers, residential and commercial, that the Government will absorb 50% of electricity bill for the period, using their March 2020 bill as benchmark.
‘’For example, if your electricity bill was one hundred cedis (GHc100), you will pay only GHc50, with Government absorbing the remaining GHc50. The government will fully absorb electricity bills for the poorest of poor, i.e for all lifeline consumers, that is free electricity for persons who consume Zero to 50 kilowatt hours a month for this period,’’ the President explained.
He directed the Minister of Finance to immediately make available a minimum of one billion cedis to households and businesses, particularly small and medium scale enterprises.
As at the time of broadcast, Ghana has 378 confirmed cases of infections, with 6 deaths and 4 recoveries and 2 are in critical conditions. The remaining 370 are mild cases, who are in isolation, and are either being managed at home or at treatment centres.
‘’While the results are encouraging in suggesting a limited number of positives and community spread, we expect to be able to test some 10,000 additional samples in the coming week to give us a clearer picture to enable us take a decision on the way forward,’’ Akufo Addo said in his address to the nation broadcast Thursday Night (10.30 pm Ghana time).
A total 37, 405 samples have so far been taken during the partial lockdown, 31, 933 in Accra and 5, 472 in Kumasi. As at Wednesday 8th April in total, 77 positive cases were recorded in Accra and Kumasi, representing 0.53% of the 14, 611 tested.
President Akufo Addo hinted that the country’s borders will remain closed until the situation is fully under control.
‘’We have to remain shut until further notice. 192 of the country’s cases came from travellers who entered before the closure, and their contacts. 79% of the 378 cases are thus imported. We now see the decision to close down our borders has been justified.’’
105 of the confirmed cases came from those who were mandatorily quarantined and tested on their arrival on the 21st and 22nd of March.
He said the fight is not over yet, ‘’and we are by no means out of the woods yet.’’
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