A country cannot remain in the lockdown or restriction mode indefinitely. At a certain point, the political leadership must make a decisive move to restore normalcy even while ensuring the safety of the citizenry in the face of an emergency.
Leadership is about deciding on behalf of others such as the people of a country. We are glad that so far in the face of the global medical emergency, our President has not been found wanting.
His refusal to return Ghanaians in China and to impose a total lockdown at a time when opposition elements demanded that has yielded positive results.
Imagine the negative fallouts which could have visited the country had he not taken the partial lockdown initiative after looking at the prevailing data and science to undo same subsequently. The country would have recorded disturbing number of lockdown-triggered mortality as actors in the informal sector, the homeless head porters, hawkers of the assortment of wares on the streets and market places die slowly, unable to feed themselves.
Armed with the latest data and all-important science about Covid-19 situation in Ghana, President Akufo-Addo last Sunday during the virtual Eid-ul-Fitr prayers in the studio of the national television in Accra gave an indication about how he intends undoing the restrictions currently operative in the country.
A lot of knowledge has been garnered about the notorious Covid-19 and still gathering. These are providing for policymakers important basis for taking critical decisions, such as easing restrictions and undoing them entirely.
Processing such data is a bit complex and near impossible for many not to comprehend and to appreciate how lucky we have been as a country. It is for this reason that many would exclaim when for instance updates on the Covid-19 situation are presented.
As for the NDC elements, they prefer presenting the number of infections ignoring the recoveries.
Our local experts are on top of the virus, a feat which has endeared them to the World Health Organisation (WHO).
The rates of infection, mortality, recoveries against the backdrop of surveillance, tracing, containment and treatment regimes make it unwise to continue to retard the return to hygiene-controlled normalcy.
The President’s decision, therefore, to engage with various stakeholders with a view to removing the restrictions is a step in the right direction.
We must be thankful to God that our intercessions have been accepted by the Almighty God who has protected us against the aggressive strain of the virus, otherwise we would have been composing a different commentary given the level of indiscipline among many of us.
Covid-19 although still dangerous is no longer the stranger of a few months ago and so the President is on track as he has been in previous decisions.
While we doff our hats in deference to him for thinking about removing the restrictions, we would nonetheless ask that the hygiene etiquettes must be observed.
Managers of places of worship, schools, markets and hospitality facilities should be engaged periodically, a monitoring measure at a time of a new normal.
The architecture of public places must conform to the new normal of hygiene etiquettes as the business-choking restrictions give way.