Operators of mobile money in areas where the partial lockdown is being undertaken have been given the clearance to conduct business.
President Nana Akufo-Addo imposed a two-week partial lockdown on Accra, Tema, Kasoa, and Kumasi from Monday, March 30, 2020.
These cities, which have been identified as the epicentres of the novel coronavirus in Ghana have been locked down as part of efforts to curb the spread of the disease.
Ghana currently has a total number of 152 recorded cases, with five deaths and two recoveries.
He, however, made exemptions to the directive as some essential service providers will not be forced to lockdown. These included communication and digital services but the mobile money vendors were left out.
But Chief Executive Officer of the Chamber of Communications, Ken Ashigbe in a Citi News interview said the mobile vendors must show their national ID and identification card provided for them to be able to operate freely.
“We have reached out to Bank of Ghana and the Ministers for both information and the National Security because definitely you cannot have the communication and digital financial services without these mobile money merchants or those who sell the scratch cards. So what we have discussed with the Bank of Ghana and the other agencies is that they allow these vendors to show their ID cards and permit them to work.”
Partial lockdown of Accra, Kumasi, Tema to curb COVID-19 spread
President Nana Akufo-Addo declared a partial lockdown of Accra and Kumasi effective 1 am on Monday, March 30, 2020.
The President made the declaration in a national address delivered on Friday, March 27, 2020.
The decision, according to the President is to help curb the spread of COVID-19 which has led to five deaths and infected some 152 people.
The exempted
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo made exemptions to this directive of the lockdown.
The list of services to be exempted from the restrictions as announced by President Akufo-Addo are as follows:
- Members of the Executive, Legislature and the Judiciary;
- Production, distribution, and marketing of food, beverages, pharmaceuticals, medicine, paper, and plastic packages.
- Environmental and sanitation activities;
- VALCO staff
- Road and Railway construction workers;
- Mining workers;
- Fisherfolk;
- Members of the security agencies assigned lawful duties;
- The Media;
- The staff of electricity, water, telecommunications, e-commerce, and digital service providers; and
- Fuel station staff.
