Beware: The police have orders to rigorously enforce COVID-19 laws

After months of laxity, the Ghana Police Service has received yet another a shot in the arm to enforce the country’s coronavirus safety protocols rigorously.

With the country’s cases spiking out of control while the public throws caution to the wind, the President wants the police to be more aggressive in enforcing the laws meant to insulate the public from the increasing COVID-19 infections.

He wants war on the indiscipline that has crept into the country’s fight against the vicious disease which has collapsed economies and brought down some of the most sophisticated healthcare systems in the developed world.

” I have instructed the Inspector General of Police to direct officers, men and women of the Police Service to ensure the rigorous enforcement of the law on mask-wearing at all public places and in public transport,” President Nana Akufo-Addo said in his latest COVID-19 update to the nation.

With most pubs and beaches in business under the guise of operating restaurants, the President wants the laws passed in April that barred beaches, pubs, cinemas and night clubs from operating to bite.

“They[security services] are also to ensure the closure of all night clubs, pubs, cinemas and beaches that may be operating in defiance of the law. They will be assisted by the other security agencies if need be,” he said.

In April last year,  the Imposition of Restrictions Act, which was passed by parliament came into effect.

Very few people have incurred the wrath of the law which penalties have been described as draconian.

It states that: “a person who fails to comply with a restriction imposed under the Executive Instrument issued under subsection (1) of section 2 commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine of not less than one thousand penalty units and not more than five thousand penalty units or to a term of imprisonment of not less than four years and not more than ten years or to both.”

At least three people have been jailed for breaching the law.

The President’s orders come on the back of jarring numbers from the Ghana Health Service which shows that the country is back in the throes of the virus.

On average, the country is said to be recording 200 cases daily.

With even the developed world struggling to cope with the crippling effect of COVID-19 on their healthcare system, the president sounded an alarm, hoping it would resonate with the public to be extra cautious.

“The number of patients requiring hospitalisation and intensive care unit are rising, the number of severe cases which stood at eighteen a week ago has increased sharply to 120, two weeks ago there was no critical case,we now have 33 in our treatment facilities,” he said.

Increasingly, the public has become casual about the virus which has killed at least 352 people in Ghana while hospitalising thousands of others.

Mr Akufo-Addo also sanity in markets and public transport.

“Persons in market places, workplaces and operators of public transport must conduct their activities in accordance with the hygiene and safety protocols, the wearing of nose masks is mandatory in all public places” he added.

Ghana currently has almost 2,000 active cases,352 deaths and 55,592 recoveries.