Citi TV to embark on COVID-19 Awareness Campaign with mobile vans

Ghanaian television channel, Citi TV, will from Thursday, April 9, 2020, kick-start a sensitization campaign on the coronavirus pandemic in specific markets and communities in Accra, to keep citizens more informed to protect themselves and the masses from the disease.

The station has thus dedicated two of its pick-up vehicles solely branded for the exercise.

Managing Director of Citi FM and Citi TV, Samuel Attah-Mensah, says as a media house whose topmost objective is to inform and educate, there is the need to carry out that mandate directly into the communities when the need arises.

He says the pandemic, which poses a threat to everyone, cannot be left to government alone, hence the decision by Citi TV to support the public education campaign.

The Citi TV COVID-19 sensitization campaign is thus expected to complement the efforts of the Information Ministry, the Information Services Department and the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE).

Although government is tackling the situation from all angles through several measures, the sensitization is said to be inadequate.

Concerns are that some people are limited in their understanding of the health and safety protocols, the seriousness of the situation, and the importance of complying to the government’s directives, especially in the areas that have been partially locked down.

The perceived misunderstanding has largely been blamed for the instances where some persons have flouted the social distancing protocol and the partial lockdown directives.

For instance, the non-compliance to the social distancing directive in the markets by traders has forced some municipal, metropolitan and district assemblies to shut down markets in some of the lockdown areas, although they are exempted from the lockdown because they deal in food which is essential.

COVID-19 cases in Ghana

Ghana’s COVID-19 case count stands at 313, with the death toll moving from five to six as of Wednesday, April 8, 2020, whiles recovery stands at three.

Although Ghana’s fatality rate is generally low, there are concerns the numbers could increase as the government carries out some sort of mass testing and surveillance within communities.

Nearly 20,000 people are being tested after samples from over 7,000 people came out with only 14 testing positive.

205 of the affected persons in Ghana are responding well to treatment according to the Ghana Health Service, whereas nearly 50 others have been discharged from health facilities to undergo home management before they would be declared fully fit.

Only two of Ghana’s affected persons are currently considered moderately ill.

Over 900 people who were part of 1,030 travellers forced into mandatory quarantine after Ghana closed its borders have been sent home after they completed the quarantine and tested negative.

So far, seven regions out of the 16 have all recorded cases, with Greater Accra being the highest with 274, Ashanti Region has 25 cases, Northern Region has 10, whereas Eastern, Upper West, Upper East and Central Region have one case each.

Ghana is in the second week of a two-week partial lockdown in Tema, Kasoa, Kumasi and Accra, coupled with the closure of schools and a ban on all public gatherings for four weeks.

The President has however extended Ghana’s border closure by two more weeks and has hinted that a decision would be taken this week on whether the partial lockdown would be extended or not.