Coronavirus: GIDC Says Ease of Compulsory Wearing of Face Masks in Crowded Places was a Mistake

• Acting Director at the Ghana Infectious Disease Centre (GIDC) says the ease of compulsory wearing of face masks in crowded places was a mistake
• Dr Joseph Oliver-commey blamed the rise in active Covid-19 cases on the lifting of compulsory wearing of face masks in public places amidst unrestricted movements
• Ghana's active Coronavirus cases have increased, with the numbers jumping from 370 to 1,064 in June 2022

Acting Director at the Ghana Infectious Disease Centre (GIDC) has blamed the rise in active Covid-19 cases on the ease of compulsory wearing of face masks in crowded places.

Dr Joseph Oliver-commey said it was a mistake for the nation to lift the compulsory wearing of face masks amidst unrestricted movements.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo eased the compulsory wearing of face masks in public places in late March.

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''From tomorrow, Monday, 28th March, the wearing of facemasks is no longer mandatory,'' he directed, per Citi News.

The president, however, urged Ghanaians to continue to adhere to enhanced hygienic practices such as the washing of hands.

Wearing of face mask in crowded places

In an exclusive interview with YEN.comgh, Dr Oliver-commey said people needed to keep their masks on in crowded places.

''I will say that we needed to have kept our masks on in crowded places; in crowded places where we are less than one metre apart.

''If you say go to the stadium and let them take off their masks, I'll agree because it's an open place. You can decide to stay far from people and still shout. So, for me, the mistake we made was to remove the masks in crowded close places; that is where the problem came from,'' he told YEN.com.gh.

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Dr Oliver-commey expressed concern about the rising number of younger children contracting Covid-19.

''Another thing is that in this particular wave we tend to see a lot of younger children getting infected. All the structure of ages; adolescents, teenagers, and toddlers are getting it, and it's because, in the schools, most of them are not wearing their masks again.

''I think the children are not wearing their masks not because they don't want to wear them but because the adults don't want to wear the mask and they feel it's a little inconvenient for the children,'' he said.

Practicing preventive measures

Dr Oliver-commey, who doubles as an Infectious Disease Consultant, further mentioned that the surge in active Covid-19 cases is something ''we brought on ourselves as a people''.

He urged the public to continue with the COVID-19 preventive measures to stem the spread of the virus.

''People must wear a mask, regularly wash and sanitise their hands frequently to prevent or reduce person-to-person transmissions,'' he said.

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Active Coronavirus Cases Cross 1,000

YEN.com.gh earlier reported that active Covid-19 cases in Ghana have risen astronomically in the most recent weeks, with numbers exceeding 1,000 this week.

The country recorded below 400 active Covid-19 numbers in early June 2022.

The active case count was 370 as of June 2, 2022, but increased to 401 on June 5 and 837 on June 9.

Source: YEN.com.gh