Scores arrested for breaching coronavirus protocols

Regional Police Commander, COP Paul Manly Awini, who revealed this at the launch of a disinfection exercise in basic and senior high schools in the region said the arrested persons were found guilty of breaching the compulsory face mask directive.

He noted that the law will follow due course and the culprits will subsequently be processed for court.

“We are very much aware that our role is a humanitarian one in support of the lead agency which is the Ghana Health Service. And so from day one when these protocols were issued by his Excellency, I must say that some people fallen foul of the law as far as observing some of these protocols were concerned. Today, we have arrested 131 persons who breached these protocols, and they are all being processed for court.”

The action follows the President’s announcement of a mandatory face mask directive in his 11th update on the coronavirus situation in Ghana.

According to him, the Greater Accra, Ashanti, Central and Western Regions are to comply with this directive especially, owing to the surge in cases in these areas.

“…Ghanaians must remember that the wearing of masks is now mandatory. Leaving our homes without our face masks or face covering on is an offence” he said.

Meanwhile, the mandatory wearing of face masks has been enshrined in a new Executive Instrument issued by the President pursuant to the powers granted him under the Imposition of Restrictions Act, 2020 (Act 1012).

Per the E.I., face masks, face shields or any other face covering that covers a persons nose or mouth completely must be worn when they are in public or leaving or returning to their place of abode.

Failure to comply, per the E.I. 164, will attract punishment in accordance with Section 6 of Act 1012.

“Per Section 6 of Act 1012, “a person who fails to comply with the restrictions imposed under the Executive Instrument issued under subsection 1 of Section 2 commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine of not less than 1,000 penalty unit (Gh¢12,000) and not more than 5,000 penalty units (Gh¢ 60,000) or to a term of imprisonment not less than four years and not more than 10 years or to both.”