Deputy Director of the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Anthony Adofo Ofosu, has assured the land border residents in the country that government is working to ensure the land borders are opened.
He also urged the people to be patient as they work on modalities to put in place the COVID measures to reopen the borders.
“So, all those things need to be done because we cannot be kept locked in forever. But there need to be an ordered check because it’s not only the economy that we are dealing with.
“We are dealing with lives and with lives that are lost you cannot recover them. So, I mean we need to be patient and just let the measures that have been put in place work so that the trainings can be done,;the checking sites are deployed and all those things are done; I mean and the sites all cleared”.
Dr. Anthony Adofo
Dr. Adofo further said there is a plan in place because,;within the Ghana Health Service,;they have started the training that involves even the immigration officers and national security and all those people to ensure border safety.
“We need to also have COVID centres;because we have people test positive at that border before you move them into the country. All those things have to be sorted out”.
Dr. Anthony Adofo
Presidency assures land borders reopening
Prior to this, the Director of communications at the Presidency, Eugene Arhin, said the government will communicate a decision on the matter of border reopening.
“All other decisions with respect to the imposition of restrictions are taken normally by the COVID-19 task force which he [President] chaired. If you remember when the decision was taken to reopen our international airport,;we had to put in place certain measures.
“A lot of things went into the decision that was taken;and that was also taken under the auspices of the COVID-19 taskforce”.
Eugene Arhin
Mr. Arhin further said whatever decision the President will take on the matter will be done;in consultation with the COVID-19 National Response Team.
President to review restrictions
Mr. Arhin also averred that President Akufo-Addo will review whatever aspect of the restrictions;that necessarily needs a review to help ease the difficulties.
“President Akufo-Addo understands the difficulties people have had to go through with the restrictions;that have been imposed on lives and livelihoods,;and I believe if there is the need for them to review whatever aspects of the restrictions,;he will make it known when he addresses the nation”.
Dr. Anthony Adofo
The continuous closure of the borders has become an inconvenience for many, especially residents of the Ketu South Municipality in the Volta Region, who recently embarked on a demonstration demanding the reopening of the border.
The residents who engage in economic activities in and outside Aflao and on the border with Togo,;are of the view that the land borders ought to be opened to protect their livelihoods as it has been done for land and air borders.
They, thus, called on the government to open the land borders since they play important role in their economic activities.
