Security Council worried over rising coronavirus cases at Obuasi

The Ashanti Regional Security Council (REGSEC) has expressed worry over the upsurge in COVID-19 (Coronavirus) disease cases at Obuasi.

Obuasi, a mining community, has become one of the hotspots for the pandemic, according to the latest report released by the Ghana Health Service (GHS), a development creating uneasiness and anxiety amongst the populace.

Currently, a team of experts from the GHS is currently at Obuasi trying to assess the situation there to subsequently provide an advisory to government.

“The REGSEC has decided to hold an emergency meeting in order to find the way forward over the development,” Mr. Simon Osei-Mensah, Chairman of the Council and also the Regional Minister, confirmed this to the media in Kumasi.

Ghana’s confirmed COVID-19 cases as of May 14, had increased by 122, bringing the total number of cases to 5, 530 with 674 recoveries and 24 deaths.

Sixty-two out of the new cases were recorded in the Ashanti Region, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the Region to 724.

The Obuasi Municipality and Obuasi East District together have recorded more than 270 cases COVID-19 and one death.

Mr. Osei-Mensah indicated that the Security Council was working with the health experts to tackle the situation head-on, adding that they would make sure that all health guidelines and protocols were adhered to strictly by all and sundry.

Meanwhile, the Obuasi East District Chief Executive (DCE), Ms. Faustina Amissah, has appealed to the government to impose a curfew with the view to containing and minimizing the incidence of COVID-19 in the area.

“The citizenry have become very recalcitrant regarding compliance to the laid down social distancing and mandatory wearing of nose masks,” she told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview.

The DCE said the imposition of a curfew had become the only option to restrict the movement of the residents while enforcing the letter all the health protocols.