COVID 19 – THE

CASE

Background: Impact of Covid-19 and its

rd related restrictions The 23 June 2020 marked exactly : 100 days since the first cases of Covid-19 were reported in Ghana. A Covid-19 has dealt a huge blow to Before the formal announcement all aspects of life in Ghana. The th (13 March 2020) of the first two government had to realign its cases in Ghana involving returning budget to contain the pandemic to residents from Norway and Turkey, the detriment of other sectors Ghanaians were already needing urgent improvements. apprehensive given the awful news Imposition of restrictions Health infrastructure has come on Covid-19 around the globe. The Ghana government, led by His under serious pressure with the There was sustained pressure on Excellency President Nana Addo need to have isolation and the government to close Ghana’s Danquah Akuffo Addo, imposed treatment facilities across the entry borders and institute partial lockdown restrictions on country. The already inadequate measures to possibly avoid an cities like , and the number of health professionals incidence of Covid-19 or curtail any densely populated town of Kasoa in have been put under pressure to possible spread should a case be the of Ghana after deliver care and support to the recorded. However, since recording they emerged as hot spots for the thousands of infected persons. the first cases in March, the country spread of Covid 19. This action was Ghana’s testing facilities have had has seen a sharp rise in infections supported by the Imposition of to be increased in number and their across almost all its 16 Restrictions Act (2020), Act 1012. capacity enhanced in order to administrative regions. The Greater However, 21 days into the respond to the volume of tests Accra Region (capital – Accra), lockdown, the government was required. The over 87% informal (capital – Kumasi) forced to lift the partial lockdown as sector economic actors in Ghana and Central Region (capital – Cape businesses and individuals were at have had their livelihoods Coast) have for some time been the risk of losing their livelihoods. threatened with weeks of hottest spots in infections. On 23rd Reasons given by the President at shutdowns. Workers have lost jobs June, 100 days since the the time for the lifting of the partial and incomes in the process, with announcement of the novel virus lockdown and the gradual removal some owed salaries running into (SARS COV 2 or Covid-19), Ghana’s of some restrictions were said to months due to their employers’ case count stood at 14,568 out of have been informed by science. inability to make necessary which 10,907 had been declared Further commentary from high turnovers. From religion to recovered and sadly, 95 officially profile officials in the executive arm recreation, sports and travels, the declared deaths. of government, particularly the ordinary Ghanaian’s life has Finance Minister of Ghana, dramatically changed over the last suggested, however, that the 100 days, with the future remaining decision was based on the economic largely uncertain. impact of the pandemic.

Covid 19 & vulnerable Covid 19 & Ghana’s health Government’s response to groups in Ghana: infrastructure: fighting Covid-19:

Covid-19 has had dire consequences The 21-day partial lockdown in Ghana’s health infrastructure has on the finance and budgetary Accra, Kumasi and Kasoa led to a come under a serious review allocations of the government of disturbing development in the cry following the outbreak of Covid-19, with calls from health experts and Ghana. The government of the day by residents for support to meet had anticipated developing several basic needs such as food, water the general public for the government to create more sectors of the economy, particularly and shelter. With law as 2020 is an election year. But the enforcement officers deployed on capacity to contain the spread of Covid-19. President Nana Akuffo outbreak of the novel Covid-19 virus the streets of urban settlements has caused serious revisions. The to enforce the President’s Addo has announced what has been described as an ambitious project, government, at the onset, committed directives under the Imposition of a total of $100m to the fight against Restrictions Act, residents both that of building 88 hospitals within one year of commencement, to the pandemic. Additional measures poor and rich were in the same were announced to support various boat in having to obey the boost the health infrastructure of the country. These hospitals will be aspects of the economy including: directives. However, scores of - GHS 600m support to SMEs residents in certain deprived situated in districts which do not currently have hospitals. - Three months free electricity communities defied the orders to bills for lifeline consumers and come onto the streets in search of Meanwhile, there are ongoing expansions of facilities in already 50% reduction for all other food. The government was forced consumers (including businesses) to institute the costly measure of existing health institutions in the interim. - Three months free water bills for providing meal packages to consumers with tanker water affected residents. The business suppliers to areas not connected community, religious bodies and to the Ghana Water Company philanthropists all joined in to systems provide relief for some of the - Insurance packages for all people badly hit by the Covid-19 C frontline health workers related restrictions. Petty traders, - A 50% salary increment for ‘Kayayeis’ (head porters), street frontline health workers hawkers and beggars were - A daily allowance for Covid-19 amongst the people badly hit by contact tracers the pandemic. The plight of groups such as the disabled, Health infrastructure such as testing The government continues to widows and children with special announce incentives to bring relief to needs, became more pronounced laboratories with the capacity to test hundreds and thousands of Ghanaians amid the Covid-19 in the period of the 21-day partial pandemic. All these new measures are lockdown. samples in a reasonable period, are being supported with new a cost to the country as a whole. Other equipment, with additional development priorities may suffer due infrastructure in the process of to the heavy expenditures being construction. Ghana’s premier incurred in the health sector. One of the testing centres, the Noguchi foremost priorities of Ghanaians, i.e. the construction and upgrade of road Memorial Institute for Medical Research and Kumasi Centre for networks that the Akuffo Addo B Collaborating Research (KCCR), government had promised for the year came under serious stress, as 2020, may be difficult to achieve initially they were the only two judging from the change in priority testing facilities for the entire spending. This is even more so since the nation. The government, through global pandemic has equally affected the Ghana Ministry of Health, has the economies of financiers like the recently boosted capacities of other government of the Republic of China, laboratories in Tamale and Wa to which is central to the Ghanaian take care of Covid-19 testing for the government’s development agenda for northern zone of the country. roads.

Gradual removal of have been described by some as restrictions: Disturbing trend: draconian. An offender risks being imprisoned for a period up to 10 years The decision by the Nana Akuffo The case count of Covid-19 in Ghana or fined a sum from GHS 12,000.00 to Addo led administration to is fast rising. Between 1st June and GHS 60,000.00. There are ongoing gradually remove restrictions has 23rd June, over 50 new deaths were discussions in the public space for a been met with mixed feelings by officially recorded. Disturbingly, more enforceable action to be sections of the populace. Some more cases of health professionals adopted rather than what has been have questioned the rationale are being reported, with some prescribed by the EI 164. behind the President’s decision casualties. The Medical Director of given the fact that at the time of Kwadaso S.D.A Hospital in Kumasi Borders remain closed: lifting the partial lockdown and lost his life to Covid-19 in the line of some Covid-19 associated duty. The mayor of the twin city of Ghana’s entry borders remain closed, restrictions on Accra, Kumasi and Sekondi-Takoradi has also lost his although there has been a gradual Kasoa, Ghana’s case count was life as a result of Covid-19 related removal of the Covid-19 related steadily rising. The government, led illness, while over 13 staff and restrictions. The measure was part of by the Ministry of Health and the Members of Parliament are initial strategies to stop the Covid-19 Task Force, has always reported to have contracted the importation of the Covid-19 virus into maintained that their decision was disease. Ghana’s Health Minister the country, as has been instituted by backed by science. Improved Hon. Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, who several countries around the globe. contact tracing and surveillance, has been leading Ghana’s fight This measure, though necessary, with more testing capacity, were against Covid-19, has reportedly continues to put untold pressure and some of the reasons given for the contracted the disease and is hardship on individuals and gradual removal of lockdown businesses. Several Ghanaians th currently being managed at home. restrictions as at Monday 20 April. These scenarios are indicative of the continue to make a case, from their Some non-essential businesses devastating effect the Covid-19 current places of domicile outside were allowed to open, whilst the pandemic is having on the lives and Ghana, for the government to assist government encouraged all to development of the nation. them to return home. Some efforts practice safety protocols. At the have already begun in this regard, time, only a few regions out of the with some Ghanaians recently 16 administrative regions of the evacuated from some Arab nations. country had officially recorded Certain Missions in Ghana have also th Covid-19 cases. On the 100 day initiated steps to help some of their since the country recorded its first E citizens who were affected by the two cases, all 16 regions had lockdown in Ghana to return home. recorded active cases, with calls for The governments of Canada, the support to manage the situation in United States of America and the these regions. United Kingdom are some of the

countries that have since repatriated

their nationals from Ghana. Imposition of new

restrictions: Cargo and passenger movement across Ghana’s borders (both air and land) The continual infection of hundreds have been greatly affected. During the and thousands of Ghanaians has led lockdown, only goods classified as D to the government announcing new essentials (food, drugs and other measures to help curtail the spread consumables) were allowed to come The latest attempt by government of Covid-19. The mandatory wearing into Ghana. There were reported cases to bring some normalcy to the lives of face masks is the latest of such of haulage trucks stuck at the borders of of its citizens is the reopening of measures. Supported by an Ghana’s neighbouring countries, with secondary and tertiary schools. Executive Instrument (EI), it is now peoples’ investments getting wasted. Final year students of tertiary an offence for anyone in Ghana to Ghanaian businessmen and women institutions were allowed to return be in public without a face covering continue to count their losses due to to school to complete courses on (mask) and the punitive measures their inability to bring in their imports, the 15th June, whilst those in attached to the flouting of this as countries like China, USA and several secondary retuned on 22nd June. regulation are so severe that they European countries also shut down their economy to fight the virus. Covid 19 & the can-do Conclusion: Spirit:

The government continues to Covid-19 & Election It is often said that “scarcity is the announce other incentives to bring 2020: mother of all inventions”, and this relief to Ghanaians amid the Covid-19 saying has been exemplified in pandemic. All these new measures are Ghana will be going to the polls on Ghana’s Covid-19 fight. With the th a cost to the country as a whole as other 7 December 2020 to elect a new realisation that the pandemic was development priorities may suffer due president and Members of having worldwide effect and to the heavy expenditures being Parliament,. The stakes are high, countries that used to supply certain incurred in the health sector. The future with political parties gearing up to essentials to Ghana would not be remains very unpredictable so long as a wrestle for power. Covid-19’s able to do so since they have need cure or vaccine remain yet to be found negative impact on Ghana’s 2020 for these essentials themselves, the for the treatment of Covid-19. But good General Elections cannot be country went to work. The President governance must continue unabated. overemphasized, although all announced the commencement of factions seem to have agreed that local production of PPEs and other the elections must come off essentials. Businesses sacrificed Verifiable Sources whatever be the case. Ghana’s parts of their production lines to www.moh.gov.gh Independent Electoral produce needed medical items to www.myjoyonline.com Commission (EC) has also assured support the national fight. Beverage www.moi.gov.gh electorates it will institute the companies started producing local strictest of protocols to ensure sanitizers after the population the non-spread of the virus during complained of the exhorbitant this exercise. However, a thorny prices being charged for imported issue that was raging on even ones, nose masks were sewn locally, before the country recorded its and research institutions first cases of Covid-19 on 23rd manufactured local ventilators and March, is the EC’s automatic sanitizing machines uncompromising resolve to among others. compile a new voters’ register.

Whilst the opposers of this

exercise raised concerns initially

about legitimacy and timing of a

new register (the case is currently

being settled in the Supreme

Court of the land), Covid-19 has G now introduced an even more

uncertain situation, leaving

people concerned about whether

or not they will get registered.

The private sector has come on board to supply much needed PPEs Authors: to health centres across the country, Edward Teye Sarpong and in some cases have even put up Senior Research officer – GGA WA health infrastructures to serve as F isolation and treatment centres. Gifty Obeng Religious institutions have likewise Programs/M&E Manager – GGA WA joined in to supply some of these items and offered their facilities as holding centres for infected persons. All these efforts go to support the assertion that the African is capable of managing his or her own affairs.