The novel coronavirus comes with three packages worldwide. One: patient zero gets attacked. Two: borders are shut. Three: Lockdown and quarantine.
Though a number of countries had the second package before the first, number three becomes a given.
Ghana was in for a ride before the gates of the car opened. When everything seemed in order, with his excellency assuring the populace of protection against this deadly virus, the first two patients tested positive. Alas! “We are Ghanaians. You dare not scare us with two cases. We know how to take care of ourselves.” Then, over a weekend, cases rise to six. Enter panic. Hand sanitisers become scarce; available ones are heavily overpriced. Supermarket shelves are being cleared. “Let’s buy all the country’s stock,” yelled the attitude of panic buyers.
We met stages two and three. The Greater Accra and Kumasi as well as Kasoa kept on a lockdown. As a journalist, I am exempted from the lockdown. However, I should not be exempt from commonsense. My pass is not an antiviral protection, hence I tread with caution; amidst people who wish they could be liberated like me (the irony), amidst people who believe the virus is a hoax purported by the government, amidst people who can’t afford to stay indoors — lest they die of hunger.
We are not ready as a people to end the spread. No. My heart goes out to the obedient people. My heart bleeds for you. But know that you are victors in the fight against Covid-19.
It takes 2-14 days for the virus to manifest in a person, this is the key! This is the solution. If we stay at home, with no contact with the outside world for 14 days things would get better.
In the 14 days of self-quarantine, all cases will manifest and reports made to hospital for ambulance pickup. The army, police and immigration services, provided with adequate resources will man all closed borders — the legal and illegal entry routes.
However, because a section of the citizens decide not to stay indoors for this time, we will continue to wash our hands with soap under ‘running’ water, waiting for another lockdown extension speech entitled “Fellow Ghanaians.”
Source: Ekow Boakye
