Politics

Govt will employ innovative strategies to hold the 2020 General Elections amidst COVID-19 Pandemic

Govt will employ innovative strategies to hold the 2020 General Elections amidst COVID-19 Pandemic

Government is beefing up plans to conduct 2020 general elections with innovative means if its fight against the novel coronavirus still persist during the December polls.

According to the government, it has no intentions to extend its first term mandate if the virus is not defeated.

Speaking at a press briefing today in Accra, the Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah explained that the government would not take advantage of the pandemic to continue to rule the country.

He noted that every nation has its laws governing it and the Akufo-Addo led administration would not flout those laws to extend its rule.

“The Akufo-Addo led government does not seek to take advantage of the current pandemic to extend its constitutionally mandated term in office,” Mr Nkrumah said.

He indicated that many countries in Africa have managed to conduct elections despite the outbreak of COVID-19, stressing that the country would do same to allow Ghanaians to exercise their franchise in electing their next leader.

This pronouncement comes to clear the persistent uncertainty and debate as to whether the country would hold its December 7 election, should the fight against the virus did not become successful.

Many critics said the government would change the elections calendar to rule the nation with some saying the chief of staff was in the right position to rule if the COVID-19 withhold the country’s elections, hence the clarification from the Information Minister.

During the briefing, it was disclosed by Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, the Director General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) that the country has recorded 427 new cases of the deadly respiratory ailment within the last 48 hours pushing the country’s total number of cases to 5,127.

Out of the 427 cases, 272 came from Obuasi in the Ashanti region, while the total recoveries still remain at 494 with 130 patients awaiting their second negative test to be declared fully recovered.

So far, 22 people have lost their lives through this deadly ailment with 4,611 active cases.

Dr Kuma-Aboagye observed that there were hot spots that the health professionals had to give special attention to those areas.

He indicated that Tema Metropolis, Kwadaso, Oforikrom, in the Greater Kumasi Metropolis, Obuasi, Ketu South and Kpando in the Volta Region had become the major hotspots for the highly infectious disease.

Dr Kuma-Aboagye reiterated that more attention were given to those hotspots to contain the spread of the virus and urged people in those areas to strictly adhere to the preventive measures to sustain their lives.

BY JOYCELINE NATALLY CUDJOE

Joyceline Natally Cudjoe

An Entertainment Columnist, Content Writer, Blogger, Novelist, Poet, and a Publicist. For business or story tip off, contact me on +233 24 646 6866 or email: [email protected]

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