President extends border closure by one month

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo Friday extended the closure of Ghana’s borders by another month effective 0100 hours Monday, May 4, 2020 to Sunday, May 31, 2020.

This is in furtherance of the measures taken by the government to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the country, as Ghana’s case count hit 2,074 on Thursday.
 

Announcing the directive in a virtual address in the studios of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation to mark the 2020 May Day celebrations, the President said government had had to extend the closure of the country’s frontiers and tighten border controls to prevent the import of the virus.
 

“We know that the overwhelming majority of positive cases came from travelers or contacts of travelers, so we have no option than to keep our borders closed until we are confident that we have put in place measures to prevent travelers from importing the virus. “These restrictions cannot and will not be a permanent feature of our lives, but they are, for now, essential to our survival,” he stressed.
 

Speaking to the theme of this year’s May Day, “COVID-19 in Ghana: Impact on Employment and Working Conditions,” President Akufo-Addo noted that advent of the disease had taken a toll on the economy, resulting in reduced productivity, job losses, and steep decline in revenues for Government, businesses, households and individuals.
 

He said all the measures government was undertaking to curb the spread of the disease was to minimize its effect on the growth and development of the economy, and to address the plight of workers, the poor and the vulnerable in the public health crisis.
 

The President stressed that his single-minded goal was to protect the population from the scourge of the virus, rebuild the economy, and steer the country out of the crisis,
 

“As Government and as social partners, it is our collective responsibility to chart our own course out of this pandemic onto a path of sustained growth, progress and prosperity, which will safeguard jobs, and ensure the safety of the population.

“It is obvious that a weak response to the threat of COVID-19 would jeopardise the gains made to create a buoyant economy, and will worsen the lives and livelihoods of all Ghanaians,” he noted.
 

President Akufo-Addo extended gratitude to the Ghanaian worker for his/her contribution to the development of the country saying “we recognise and appreciate the efforts and sacrifices they have made towards the construction of a happy and prosperous Ghana that we seek”
 

He was heartened by the determination of organised labour to rally behind government “to create a progressive nation, buoyed on by faster economic growth rates, and driven by the quest for decent jobs,” saying,

“I am determined, for as long as I remain President of the Republic, to continue even more firmly on this path of co-operation and collaboration on which we have embarked.”
 

The President assured that Government would continue to deepen its engagement with organized labour to mitigate the adverse impact of COVID-19 on the economy, businesses and jobs, imploring workers to “continue to sacrifice so that we do not have to bear a greater cost in the future.”
 

He said Government would intensify the implementation of the four-point national strategy on formalisation to facilitate the identification and provision of support, relief and stimulus packages to businesses and workers during the pandemic.
 

“I call upon all working people to step forward again. I am confident that, together, if we remain united and resolute, and maintain discipline and self-discipline, we shall defeat this virus.”