Editorial
RISING COVID-19 ACTIVE CASES
It is becoming increasingly worrying that when it was thought that COVID-19 active cases had come as low as between 300 and 400, unexpectedly it started rising again.
The rising active cases have become a major source of concern to the leadership of the country as was pointed out by the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in his latest address on the pandemic to the nation. So worried was the President that he made it clear that “if the active cases continue to rise, he would have no option but to bring the country under partial lockdown as was experienced some time last year.
According to him active cases has moved from 900 last week to 1,924 this week. Indeed, the country experiences 200 new cases daily: This is very alarming.
The cases have started rising because many people no longer keep to the COVID -19 safety protocols. These include social distancing, use of nose masks, washing of hands frequently and using hand sanitisers as often as possible.
It was pointed out by President Akufo-Addo that “two weeks ago there was no critical case but we now have 33. This is very unfortunate.”
As a country we were doing very well until quite recently when the cases started rising again. During the Christmas celebrations the safety protocols were thrown overboard and this could be attributed to the current situation.
We, therefore, need to go back to the times when the safety protocols were taken seriously by all with the exception of a few unconcerned people, to ensure that the pandemic is brought under control once again.
With regard to the current wave of infection, those severely ill are youthful persons without underlying health issues. This is in contrast to previous times when those severely affected were people within the old age bracket.
Everybody in the country must take up the issue seriously and help in the fight against the pandemic since lives, when lost, cannot be revived. Simply put, life has no substitute.
It is the duty of the President to play his part to protect all Ghanaians but at the same time every individual also has a part to play in order to make assurances of our safety double sure.
The situation is gradually growing from bad to worse because deaths have now moved from 338 to 352 and that 13 out of the 16 regions have recorded active cases.
We all have a role to play to bring the pandemic under control. As the President rightly pointed out, our goal should be the attainment of zero recording of the disease.
It is only when we’re able to attain this that we can say we have fought a good battle and won, and then all Ghanaians will be the winners.
Dear Editor,
It is often said that a healthy nation is a wealthy nation. However, this saying becomes worrying when the health of citizens is threatened by the conditions under which the food they consume daily is sold.
In Ghana, the conditions under which food is sold is quite disturbing. Over the years, I have observed that the environments where food is prepared and sold are often unhygienic.
In many cases, containers holding food such as rice and waakye are left uncovered or not properly covered, exposing them to contamination.
While many Ghanaians paid little attention in the past to the conditions under which food was sold, the narrative seems to be changing in recent years.
I recall an incident during my days in Senior High School (S.H.S.) when my friends and I went out to buy food. At one location, some of us chose not to buy because we assumed the food would be expensive due to how neat the place looked.
Unfortunately, we ended up purchasing food from a different place that was somewhat unhygienic. We overlooked the poor conditions because we believed the quantity offered was better than at the cleaner location.
However, I am certain that my friends and I would not repeat such a mistake today, as we now understand the health implications of that decision.
While public education is important in addressing this issue, I believe it is time for regulatory and law enforcement agencies, such as the Food and Drug Authority (FDA), to crack the whip on food sellers and vendors who operate in unhygienic environments and conditions.
As citizens, we must also be mindful of where we buy our food to protect ourselves and our families from diseases and illnesses. We should choose ‘quality’ over ‘quantity’ and prioritize our health.
From Syram
Oyarifa
Dear Editor,
I write to express concern and call for improved security measures before and after every football match.
The recent robbery attack that led to the tragic death of a player, on their return from a Match day 29 game against Samartex, is both shocking and heartbreaking.
The incident, which reportedly occurred around 10:30 p.m., highlights the growing risks faced by players and team officials while traveling.
Football is meant to unite and entertain, not to expose lives to danger. It is therefore imperative that authorities, the Ghana Football Association, and security agencies put in place adequate protection for teams, especially during late-night travels.
I strongly urge all stakeholders to treat this matter with urgency to prevent such unfortunate incidents from recurring.
From Eugene Ampiaw
Accra
