Reasons why Akufo-Addo eased COVID-19 restrictions despite upsurge in cases

The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Sunday, May 31, 2020, announced the easing of some of the restrictions imposed on the country as part of measures to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus.

The decision comes on the back of an upsurge in the number of Coronavirus cases recorded within the last few weeks.

But addressing the nation on Sunday, May 31, 2020, the President among explained that the easing of the restrictions was agreed to by various identifiable groups and institutions in the country.

“A consensus has emerged from these consultations that we should embark on a strategic, controlled, progressive, safe easing of restrictions to get our lives and economy back to normal,” he said in his address on Sunday, May 31, 2020.

The suspension of the restrictions includes the reopening of schools for final year JHS, SHS and university students.

Religious services can also commence but with strict protocols.

Below are some of the reasons the President gave for easing the restrictions:

• Our ability to trace, test, and treat persons with the virus has improved considerably
• We now have a large army of efficient contact tracers
• We have expanded the number of testing facilities from two (2) to ten (10) across the country
• We have increased appreciably the number of quarantine, isolation and treatment centres
• We have lessened our dependence on foreign imports, and scaled up significantly domestic production and distribution of personal protective equipment to our healthcare workers
• Our hospitalisation and death rates have been, persistently, very low, some of the lowest in Africa and in the world
• We cannot live with these restrictions forever, and that it is imperative we find a safe way to return our lives to normality, as other nations across the globe are trying to do
• There has been consensus from stakeholder discussions for easing of restrictions