President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Sunday lauded Professor Kwabena Frimpong Boateng, Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, for offering his 70-bed Medical Centre at Toase, in the Ashanti Region, as a COVID-19 treatment centre.

In the same vein, the President thanked the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) for what he called "their admirable, civic gesture" of making available their facility in Ejisu in the Ashanti Region; and the Catholic Bishops Conference for agreeing to the use of their facilities across the country as isolation centres in the fight against COVID-19.

“Such institutions deserve the sincere appreciation of the entire nation,” President Akufo-Addo stated in his 12th Broadcast to the nation on the COVID-19 Pandemic.

He noted that these were timely offers, which would ensure that "the nation’s overall healthcare systems were not unduly burdened and overrun" .

He said in line with their policy of providing optimal care for the sick, and reducing COVID-19 related deaths, the Government continued to mobilise holding-bay, quarantine, isolation and treatment centres across the country.

He noted that the great majority of the COVID-19 cases were in the Greater Accra and Ashanti Regions.

“For these two regions, I have approved further investment in the following areas: additional ICU bed facilities in Greater Accra Region; a new treatment centre for Ashanti Region; and additional laboratories to strengthen clinical care to allow for real time results.”

The rest are more medicines, consumables and equipment; and the formal arrangements for a pool of specialist health professionals to complement the respective resident multi-disciplinary health teams at the various treatment centres.

“We continue to be indebted to our health workers, and express sorrow over the deaths of Dr Harry Owusu Boateng, a paediatrician at the SDA Hospital in Kwadaso, Kumasi, and Sophia Addo, a nurse with the Ghana Manganese Company Hospital in Tarkwa, who both died in the line of duty,” the President said.

“May their souls rest in peace. I also urge the media to continue the positive work of public education they have been engaged in, especially, now, as restrictions are being systematically eased.”

He reminded all Ghanaians that the wearing of masks was mandatory.

“Leaving our homes without a face mask, a face covering, or a face shield on is an offence. The Police will conduct random checks in the enforcement of this directive,” President Akufo-Addo said.

“If you are arrested by the police defying this directive, your sanction could be severe. So, please, let us, at all times, wear our masks. I appeal to each and every one of you to take this as a personal challenge, and help rid Ghana of the virus.

“Even though, we now have a better understanding of the dynamism of the virus in our country; even though the majority of people who contract the virus do not show any symptoms at all; and even though Ghanaians are not dying in the hundreds and thousands that were originally anticipated, we cannot afford to be complacent, and let our guard down.

“Let us remain focused, and adhere to the enhanced hygiene, social distancing and mask-wearing protocols, that have, and must, become part and parcel of our daily lives for the foreseeable future. We can do it, if we work at it.”