Don’t politicise COVID-19 combat—MP

The Member of Parliament (MP) for the Ayawaso Central Constituency in the Greater Accra Region, Henry Quartey, has cautioned against politicisation of governments effort in addressing threats posed by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

According to him, the disease was no respecter of persons and does not discriminate between the rich and the poor or party colours, and it behove on the citizenry to rally behind the government to win the war against the virus.

Mr Quartey cautioned yesterday when in collaboration with the Ayawaso Central Municipal Assembly distributed Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to traders at the Mallam Atta Market in the constituency.

The items which include hand gloves, nose masks, hand washing soaps and hand sanitisers were to replenish the stock already supplied by the assembly a fortnight ago.

Mr Quartey, who is also the Deputy Minister for the Interior, indicated that “the constituency and the whole country will be the end losers if collective efforts are not made as a people with a common destiny to wage a united front and relentless war against the common enemy which is the virus”.

The devastating nature of the disease, the minister stated must not be taken for granted, and charged the residents especially the traders to strictly adhere to all existing precautionary measures and hygienic protocols to avoid contracting the virus.

“The devastating nature of the pandemic must not be taken for granted and I urge the constituents to complement governments effort by strictly adhering to all existing precautionary measures and hygienic protocols and also ensure that you stay at home when you do not have anything doing outside the comfort of your homes, we must tackle the pandemic head-on and defeat it once and for all.”

Mr Quartey admonished parents against allowing their children to loiter as they could easily contract the disease, and hinted of provision of more PPE supplies, and stated that the planned demolition of part of the market had been shelved.

The Municipal Chief Executive, Alhaji Mohammed Quaye, urged the traders to ensure that the PPE are always used in their daily activities and also insisted that their patrons wash their hands before entering the market or buying anything from them.

By Lawrence Vomafa-Akpalu