Bishops in Ghana Concerned about “high level of disregard of COVID-19 protocols” in Public

Accra, 07 July, 2020 / 9:00 PM

Members of the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference (GCBC) have expressed their concerns about the tendency to disregard COVID-19 protocols in political events that attract large crowds of people across the West African nation.

In their collective message issued Tuesday, July 7, the Bishops appeal to the citizens to continue adhering to the safety guidelines.

They say that they have "observed with great concern the high level of disregard for the observance of the COVID-19 protocols at the recent New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary primaries, the ongoing voters' registration exercise, the announcement of the running mate of the Flag-bearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) at the party's headquarters in Accra yesterday and some other public gatherings." 

The Bishops explain the basis of their concerns saying, “The latest updates from the official website of the Ghana Health Service indicate that our Coronavirus cases keep increasing and as much as we acknowledge that the recovery rates are equally impressive, the increase in the positive case count is not good news for us as a country. The same can be said about the mortality rate which is also on the increase.”

The West African country has recorded 21,077 cases of COVID-19 including 129 fatalities and 16,070 recoveries. 

Even as the Bishops encourage eligible Ghanaians "make the necessary effort to take part in the voters registration exercise," the members of GCBC urge all citizens to "take the personal responsibility to ensure that they observe all the necessary health protocols, especially those of social distancing and the wearing of face masks, during the registration exercise and at all social and public gatherings."

Bishop Joseph Osei-Bonsu of Ghana’s Konongo-Mampong Diocese recently issued a set of guidelines to be observed if church facilities within his jurisdiction are used in the exercise.

On Tuesday, June 30, Ghana Electoral Commission (GEC) kicked off the voter registration exercise targeting between 16 million and 16.5 million voters. The exercise that will end on August 6.

In a directive issued Monday, July 6, the leadership of GEC address the issue of overcrowding at some Registration Centers and recommend a way forward to the Queue Management System at its registration centers.

“The first 150 applicants who arrive at the Registration Centers will be provided with numbered chits. The first half of this number will be served from morning to early afternoon,” GEC leadership says.

“The second half will be asked to leave the Centers and return in the afternoon when the registration process for the first batch has been completed. They will then be served,” reads the GEC directive. 

In the statement signed by GCBC President, Archbishop Philip Naameh, the Bishops hailed the Queue Management System and appealed to the Government “to assist the Electoral Commission with more Security Personnel who can ensure strict adherence to the protocols, especially social distancing and the wearing of face masks, at the various Registration Centres.”

They further appeal, "While we focus our concerns on national events that attract crowds of people, we also appeal to all to accept the reality of COVID-19 and thus modify their behaviours to conform to the safety guidelines." 

"It is our hope and prayer that the concerns raised here will be addressed immediately to prevent any escalation in our COVID-19 cases," GBBC Members conclude.