Covid-19 is a killer and its devastation across the world was very scary, Volta Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police Edward Oduro Kwarteng, has emphasised.
For that reason, he stressed that it was about time Ghanaians came to terms with the reality of the dreaded coronavirus pandemic.
DCOP Oduro Kwarteng made the observation during the Volta Region launch of the Ghana Police Service — Zoomlion Ghana Limited nationwide fumigation and disinfection of police facilities exercise.
A total of 167 facilities comprising 59 police stations/offices and 108 barracks/accommodations will be disinfected in the region.
The week-long exercise began with the disinfection of the Volta Regional Police Headquarters, Ho, and the District Police Headquarters/Central Police Station/Barracks, Ho.
According to the regional commander, it was sad that people were still doubting the existence of Covid-19.
“I daresay that they are being misled,” he emphasised.
Against this backdrop, DCOP Oduro Kwarteng stressed the need for Ghanaians to religiously practice the Covid-19 preventive protocols–observing personal hygiene, social distancing, using alcohol-based hand sanitisers, and avoiding hand shakes and social gatherings.
He reiterated the need for residents in the region to wear nose masks and comply with the social distancing protocols.
DCOP Oduro Kwarteng, however, recounted that the region recorded few incidents of non-compliance.
But he added that necessary steps were taken to bring sanity within the region.
“Let me once again remind all of us that we are not in normal times and so we must all put our hands to the wheel to drive the invisible killer away as soon as possible,” he encouraged.
He commended Zoomlion for its role in the fight against Covid-19.
“We need to applaud them for a yeoman’s job,” he said.
In a brief remark, Deputy Volta Regional Minister, Pastor Johnson Avulatey, also admitted that Covid-19 was a killer disease.
“We, therefore, need to tighten our belts, observe the protocols so we can fight this common enemy,” he urged.
He went on to intimate that the only medicine for the virus was adhering to the preventive protocols of washing hands, applying alcohol-based hand sanitisers, and practising physical distancing.
He said the disease was no respecter of persons, adding that “that is why we need to be extra-careful.”
He, therefore, entreated the Zoomlion team to do an efficient job to ensure the safety of police personnel in the region.
For his part, the General Manager, Zoomlion Ghana Limited, Volta Region, Solomon Denyo, disclosed that about 500 personnel including chemicals, and other logistics have been deployed for the exercise.
He said the aim of the exercise was to protect police personnel from the attack of Covid-19.
He was optimistic that they will finish it within five days.
Mr Denyo also used the opportunity to encourage other corporate institutions to take advantage of Zoomlion’s disinfection programme for their facilities to be disinfected.