Adherence to COVID_19 protocols has improved – EC hits back at its critics

After being bashed for going back on its promise to ensure the safety of applicants, the Electoral Commission says adherence to COVID_19 protocols at its registration centres has improved.

This is in spite of an earlier denial that the centres were struggling to cope with recalcitrant applicants who were ignoring social distancing protocols.

Addressing the media on Friday, the  Deputy Commissioner of the EC, Samuel Tettey, said applicants at the various registration centres were adhering to the COVID_19 protocols

“Some people were proving stubborn in adhering to the protocols. They were not wearing the face mask. The situation is gradually improving. However, the same cannot be said of some other centres like Ashaiman and its environs,” he told the media.

Thousands of Ghanaians have, since June 30, massed up at the various registration centres across the country to apply for voter registration cards amid blatant disregard for covid-19 prevention protocols.

The EC had promised to roll out extensive protocols to insulate the public from the spread of the dreaded virus which has infected more than 23,000 people and killed 129 others in Ghana.

But the early days of the process saw repeated signs of lack of control as many rushed to registration centres, over fears that they could miss out, as the EC clustered the registration centres, instead of registering people at the more than 30,000 polling stations at once.

The EC shot down the accusations of mishap, but admitted on Friday that it had challenges in implementing the protocols.

In the wake to ensure adherence, Mr Tettey said the commission had intensified public education on the protocols, especially social distancing.

“The Commission has mounted vehicles with public address systems to educate the public, our officers do dawn broadcasting, and we have also told our registration officers to educate applicants at the various centres.”

“We have also made provision for additional chairs for applicants to sit on at centres, in other to ensure social distancing like what has been done in Odododiodio” he added.

The EC had denied an earlier photo of overcrowded applicants at a registration centre.

“Our attention has also been drawn to a photograph making rounds on social media, purporting to be a scene at a registration centre. The photograph does not show the usual registration centre set up that characterises all EC’s registration centres. It just shows a large crowd gathered together in an area.”

“Again, the originator of the photograph does not indicate the registration centre where the photograph was taken,” EC said in a statement