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Nearly 8,000 police officers who enforced a Covid-19 lockdown in Ghana will get tested for the virus.
The uniformed personnel have thus been directed by the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to self-quarantine, the Ghana Police Service said on Wednesday night.
Late last month, the West African nation announced a partial lockdown in two of its major cities as a measure to prevent the deadly Coronavirus from spreading.
Dubbed, ‘Operation Covid Safety’ a joint police and military contingent was deployed to enforce the order in the Greater Accra and Greater Kumasi areas.
Director of Public Affairs at the Ghana Police Service, Superintendent Sheila Kesse Abayie-Buckman, who has since confirmed the withdrawal of the officers from the operation, said processes are underway to get such officers tested for the virus.
“The IGP issued instructions to all commanders at the areas of operation to brief our men and women to self isolate; the Police Hospital has started taking samples of our officers for testing”, explained Superintendent Abayie-Buckman during an interview on Accra-based Citi FM.
She further added that results of the samples taken were not ready due to the delays and other protocols occasioned during testing by health officials but “they [the officers] have been advised to self-isolate for the samples to be tested before they join the populace”.
Over 800 face imprisonment for flouting lockdown
Meanwhile, at least 810 persons flouted the lockdown directive in parts of Ghana and are being processed to face the law, the Ghana Police Service has disclosed.
Out of the number, 127 are currently before the court while 458 have been granted bail.
“The number of cases in the court stood at 127 and the number of persons involved in these cases was 810 so out of these, 458 were granted bail by the various courts and the people who were convicted stood at 54,” the Director of Police Public Affairs, Superintendent Sheila Kesse Abayie-Buckman, told Accra-based Citi FM.
She added: “I am sure you heard about the conviction of people who were throwing a party yesterday. So these are part of those arrested.”
On Tuesday, six Nigerians were slapped with a total of GHS86,400 (US$15,000) for throwing a birthday party in Ghana during the lockdown.
The six pleaded guilty to the offence and were convicted by the Circuit Court in the capital, Accra on their own plea. Each was fined GHS14,000 and in default face five years in jail.
The country’s Covid-19 case count stands at 1,154 as at Wednesday, April 22, according to the Ghana Health Service. 120 patients have recovered with nine deaths.
Source: Daily Mail GH
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