6 lockdown lawbreakers test positive for COVID-19

• Posted on April 27, 2020April 27, 2020
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

Six persons out of 32 arrested within the Adentan Municipality for failing to comply with the restrictions on movement order during the partial lockdown have tested positive for COVID-19.

The test results were released after the Adentan Circuit Court, where they were standing trial, granted them bail which has since been executed.

Those who have tested positive include three men and three women.

Three of them have been contacted by the COVID-19 Response Team, while one of them, the police indicated, had travelled to the Oti Region.

In reaction to the confirmed cases, the Adentan Divisional Police Station has been disinfected while samples of some officers and inmates on remand at the station have been taken for testing.

Screening and tracing

Updating the Daily Graphic on the status of the 32 accused persons, the Public Relations Officer of the Accra Regional Police Command, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Mrs Effia Tenge, said on April 25, 2020, the Adentan COVID-19 Response Team informed the police that six of the accused persons who were put before court and screened on the orders of the court for COVID-19, had tested positive.

However, she said the police had on April 20, 2020, executed the bail order by the court and released 27 of the accused persons, including those who had tested positive. They were to reappear before the court on May 9, 10 and 12, 2020.

So far, Mrs Effia Tenge said, the three persons had reported to the COVID-19 Response Team and they were currently being managed.

She also said that information available to the police indicated that one of the accused persons and a minor who was with the accused at the time of arrest, had travelled to the Oti Region and the Adentan COVID-19 Response Team had subsequently alerted the Oti Region Health Team for contact tracing and isolation.

The team, she indicated, had also screened and taken samples from 15 inmates already in the cells who came into contact with the affected persons.

Convict rejected

One of the accused persons, Mohammed Gariba, who was convicted and sentenced by the court, was rejected by the prison authorities when he was taken to the Nsawam Medium Prisons on April 20, 2020 to commence his four-year sentence.

Mrs Tenge said the prison authorities had indicated that the prisons no longer admitted new convicts and that they were to be detained in police custody for further directives.

A team from the Police Hospital, therefore, visited the Adentan Police Station for assessment and after interacting with the Adentan COVID-19 Response Team, they took custody of Gariba and a remand prisoner who was also in the custody of the police for isolation.

Police personnel tested

Also, 20 personnel of the Adentan Divisional Police have been tested to ascertain their status.

They are awaiting the results of the test and the situation has caused some anxiety among the personnel.

A source close to the divisional command told the Daily Graphic when it visited the station last Saturday that the officers were also at post and had not been asked to stay home.

The source said in dealing with the suspects, the police had worn their nose masks but did not use gloves or other personnel protective equipment (PPE) as required.

“Immediately the results of the test on the samples were confirmed as positive, some of the officers became worried, but in collaboration with the COVID-19 Response Team, samples of 20 officers who had come into contact with the suspects were taken and we are awaiting results.

“Though we had our masks on, the suspects arrested and brought to the station did not have masks on, thus there was a risk of officers being exposed to the virus, causing some apprehension.

“ Of course, they are human beings, so naturally they will be worried about the situation, particularly, as they wait for the results. However, they are being counselled and we are awaiting the outcome of the test to know the next line of action,” the source said.

Personnel safety

The source also reminded all police personnel to be mindful of the detailed briefing on the COVID-19 operations and safety measures which have become part of the daily briefing of operational activities to ensure their safety in the discharge of their duties.

“Ahead of Ghana recording its first case of COVID-19, the Ghana Police Service held workshops for personnel and it included all the safety precautions and divisional and district commands are required to get their personnel to go by the details of the briefings.

“Additionally, some basic PPE have been provided for all stations and personnel to ensure the adherence to the safety precautions.

“Personnel are thus encouraged to ensure their safety at all levels by having their nose masks and hand gloves on in all operations; they should not take it for granted,” the source advised.

-Graphic