8,000 frontline police officers ordered to self-quarantine

Some 8,000 frontline police officers in the fight against COVID-19 have been directed to self-quarantine. As part of efforts to curb the spread of the Coronavirus in Ghana, the government placed a ban on public gatherings and partially locked down the Greater Accra and Kumasi Metropolitan areas.

These measures were enforced by the Ghana Police Service and Ghana Armed Forces. The Director of Public Affairs, Ghana Police Service, Supt. Sheila Kessie Abayie-Buckman in an interview disclosed that about 8,000 personnel of the service have been asked to self-quarantine.

“The prime object of the Police is for the Police officers to be well before we can carry out our duties. So for Accra, Kumasi, Tema, and Kumasi, we are looking at not less than 8,000 officers to self-quarantine.”

She further disclosed that the Police Hospital has begun taking their samples for testing by the institutions capable of running the test. “The Police Hospital has begun taking their samples but the samples are not tested by them but they have a strategy to take their samples.

The Police Hospital has its headquarters in Accra but it still has a lot of regional clinics all across the country,” she added.

Total arrests during lockdown

She further disclosed that a total of 810 people were arrested by the Ghana Police Service during the partial lockdown of some parts of the country.

“The number of cases in the court stood at 127 and the number of persons involved in these cases was 810 so out of these, 458 were granted bail by the various courts and the people who were convicted stood at 54. I am sure you heard about the conviction of people who were throwing a party yesterday. So these are part of those arrested,” she said.

Lifting of partial lockdown

President Nana Akufo-Addo lifted the lockdown at 1 am on Monday, April 21, 2020. Ghana currently has 1,154 confirmed cases with 120 recoveries and nine deaths