President Akufo-Addo has eased the restrictions on public and social gatherings by announcing the commencement of religious activities from June 5.
This is in spite of the fact that the country's recorded cases of the novel Coronavirus has hit 8,070.
In his 10th address to the nation on measures being taken against the spread of COVID-19, the President said effective 5th June, churches and mosques can start meeting with a maximum congregation of 100.
"An abridged format for religious services can commence. Twenty-five per cent attendance, with a maximum number of 100 congregants, can worship at a time in church or at the mosque, with a mandatory one metre rule of social distancing between congregants.
". . in addition to mandatory wearing of masks, a register of names and contact details of all worshippers must be provided; maximum duration of one hour per service," he said.
Pray For Ghana
President Akufo-Addo also entreated religious bodies to dedicate their first worship days to "prayers for the nation in these challenging times."
"I would appeal to them, in the case of Christians, on the first Sunday of re-opening, [7th June], in the case of the Adventists, Saturday, [6th June], and in the case of Muslims, on the first Friday, i.e. ?al?t al-Jumu?ah [5th June], to dedicate their worship to prayers for the nation in these challenging times," he noted.
Whiles revealing that the Minister for Religious Affairs will from tomorrow, Monday, 1st June, outline, in detail, the specific guidelines for the safe reopening of our churches and mosques, the president stressed that all religious institutions that are desirous of opening their premises to their members, must disinfect, fumigated and put in place the requisite logistics needed to guarantee safe opening and operation.
"They must work with the designated, regulatory bodies and undertake test runs of the protocols I have outlined," he added.
E.I. 64 Until 31st July
However, he disclosed that other social gatherings such as sporting activities, political rallies, crusades, beaches, festivals, drinking bars, nightclubs are still prohibited.
"I have, by Executive Instrument, provided for these new directions, and extended the suspension of the remaining public gatherings, as set out in E.I. 64 of 15th March, until 31st July. In here, I refer to the suspension of sporting events, nightclubs, cinemas, drinking spots, bars, beaches, festivals, funerals, political rallies, and large religious gatherings such as crusades, pilgrimages and conventions," the President indicated
Private burial
Meanwhile, private burial directives are still in place with a maximum of 100 people.
Borders still closed
The country’s borders; land, sea and air remain closed until further notice, the President stated.
"Our border, by air, land and sea, remains closed until further notice for human traffic. However, given that there are Ghana residents stranded abroad, special dispensation is going to be given for their evacuation back to Ghana, where they will be subjected to the mandatory quarantine and safety protocols," he said.
Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana
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"Border closing " ist at the moment not necessary, Mr President. Your method of releasing the restriction should not be imported from the European countries. This your method of step by step releasing of lockdown will not fit into the local situaion of ghanaians. Tell Ghanaians to accept the reality of the COVID 19 and that it has come to be with us and the global world forever and ever like any other diseases. All we pray is for a vacination and Impfstoff with medication to be ready for the global world. But the tonic discovery from Madagascar will be of help for ghanaians as well. So why, this step by step releasing of the lockdown. You are creating more fear and uncertainty in Ghana. This your method of step by step is rather increasing the spread of the virus. Ghanaians have come to accept the COVID 19 and the regulations is well understood. "Keep social distanceand regular washing of hands" There is much uncertainty amoung Virologist of the global world that a second pandemic of COVID 19 is possible, probably during the later part of this year normaly "the harsh winter season" Most European countries based on their early pandemic experinceses have put drastic measures ( financial, health structures and personel, as well as new methods of lockdown stratagies) to curb and fight the second pademic of the COVID 19. The question is? Is the Akufo - Addos goverment prepared for the second face of the outbreak of the COVID 19 which many Virologist predicts will be very severe for the global world. Probably, is his construction of 88 district hospitals will be a foundation for the second out break of the COVID 19. Keep to your promise and eventually it will be one of the advantages of solidifying the health structures in Ghana. So therefore, it is not necessary to lockdown or close the borders. Open the borders and Intensify the structures and measures, train more health personel, renovate our health structures in the rural and urban and the necessary health equipments for the second out break of COVID 19. Prepare Ghanaians through local communications and medium, prepare the emotions of Ghanaians for the unforseen yet to be realised the COVID 19 from the month of Novermber onwards. In all we pray, as reasearcers, scientics and virologist are working daily with all effort for the immediate solutions of the productions of Vacine, Impfstoff and medication for the global world. Open the borders ad allow free movement of people to prevent the other side effects of the COVID 19. Thak You
This is depressing! How could the president still keep the borders closed???????????? I heard Oppong Nkrumah last night saying that the volume of human traffic was huge.if that is the case can't the government use quota to reduce the number of times an airline is allowed to come into the country per week or so???? Mr president is not all Ghanaians that holds Ghana passport!!!, ask Gabby okyere Darko he's lived in the U.K. For long .yet all these people in this group of Ghanaians can't be part of the repatriation regime .there are a lot of Ghanaians leaving abroad that came home to Ghana to visit family and are stucked there,loosing their jobs and livelihood because they can't get back.How have you eased their burden mr President? It's not right to keep the borders closed anymore.most of the nations that didn't opened their borders had exempted citizens and people with residents permit already like Europe,America.... Mr president open the borders!!! .dont please only people who have access to you How many times hadn't we heard you, and members of your government say government the world over has come to realized that lockdown is not the way to go,so why are you still locking down the borders???? Mr president open the borders!!!!