The Ghana Public Health Association (GPHA) has called on Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to continue to educate their constituents and enforce the laws guiding COVID-19 prevention and control.

They also pleaded with the public to follow laid down COVID-19 protocols, especially the wearing of face masks in public places, while they avail themselves for vaccination whenever available.

Dr Amofah George, President of GPHA who stated this in a statement issued and copied to the GNA, further called on Transport Unions to "ensure that passengers wear their masks when in public transport, and religious leaders should take the caution as their religious duty if they love their followers".

He also admonished the Government not to be complacent but to take all the necessary measures to ensure people's safety, no matter the cost of such measures.

"We believe that despite the enormous efforts of the government to ensure that we are all healthy and safe, it is a fallacy to think that everything can, and should, be left in the hands of the government to ensure our safety", he stated.

According to him, "the invasion of the variant in Ghana was occurring, unfortunately, at a time when there appears to be universal disdain to comply with COVID-19 safety protocols, especially wearing of face masks, while some religious and other groups are complicit in this offence".

He noted that the devastation of the variant in India, in terms of mortality and morbidity, has shocked humanity with rippling economic and other consequences, far and near as families had to queue to cremate their dead loved ones.

Dr Amofah pointed out that the reality of the situation is that the new variants will continue to emerge some more transmissible and/or more pathogenic and virulent.

"However, we still have a window of opportunity to protect ourselves, our families, and loved ones irrespective of the variant", he indicated.

He recounted that only two cases of COVID-19 were detected in Ghana in March 2020 before the infection spread countrywide, and expressed worry that we were still struggling to contain that community spread with its socio-economic consequences.

"We have noticed, with growing concern, the emergence of the dreaded Coronavirus variant termed, "Delta variant," in Ghana and elsewhere in Africa and the rest of the world".

It is against this backdrop that the GPHA is calling on the public to take responsibility for their health and safety and that of their loved ones.