A COVID fund has been set up for contributions to cater for the poor who might be affected from the lockdown of some parts of Ghana effective Monday and President Akufo-Addo donates his three months’ salary to the fund.
“I have directed the Controller and Accountant General to pay my April, May and June salaries to a special fund that would receive donations from philanthropists to help fight the outbreak,” the President said in a televised speech on Friday.
Coronavirus is fast spreading in the country and it has become prudent for government to take precautionary measures to safeguard the well of Ghanaians. This has made it very necessary to lockdown some parts of the country which has produced most of the confirmed cases.
President Akufo-Addo in his address to the nation on Friday 27th March, 2020, noted that “prevailing circumstances means that strict measures have to be put in placeto contain and halt the spread of the virus within our country, especially in Accra, Tema, Kasoa and Kumasi, which have been identified by the Ghana Health Service as the hotspots of the infections.
He continued “In doing this, we cannot afford to copy blindly, and all the things some other well-developed countries are doing. There is no one-sized fits –all approach to this pandemic. We have a unique situation in our country, and we must take it into account in dealing with the disease, whilst meeting all the six (6) key WHO guidelines on the most effective ways of combating the pandemic.
Affected areas in Greater Accra
In Greater Accra, the following areas will be affected:
1. Accra Metropolis;
2. Tema Metropolis;
3. Tema West Municipality;
4. Ledzokuku Municipality;
5. Krowor Municipality;
6. Adentan Municipality;
7. Ashiaman Municipality;
8. La-Nkwantanang-Madina Municipality;
9. La-Dade-Kotopon Municipality;
10. Okaikwei North Municipality;
11. Ablekuma North Municipality;
12. Ablekuma West Municipality;
13. Ablekuma Central Municipality;
14. Ayawaso East Municipality;
15. Ayawaso North Municipality;
16. Ayawaso West Municipality;
17. Ayawaso Central Municipality
18. Ga West Municipality;
19. Ga North Municipality;
20. Ga Central Municipality;
21. Ga South Municipality;
22. Ga East Municipality;
23. Korle-Klottey Municipality;
24. Weija/Gbawe Municipality;
25. Kpone Katamanso Municipality; and
26. Awutu Senya East Municipality.
In the Greater Kumasi Metropolitan Area and contiguous districts, the following areas are affected:
1. Kumasi Metropolis;
2. Asokwa Municipality;
3. Suame Municipality;
4. Old Tafo Municipality;
5. Oforikrom Municipality;
6. Asokore Mampong Municipality;
7. Kwadaso Municipality;
8. Atwima Nwabiagya Municipality;
9. Kwabre East Municipality;
10. Ejisu Municipality;
11. Afigya-Kwabre South District;
12. Bosomtwi District;
13. Atwima Kwanwoma District; and
14. Atwima Nwabiagya North District.
The partial lockdown, the President added, “means that everyone resident in these areas must stay at home for the next two weeks or 14 days.”