COVID-19 LOCKDOWN BROUHAHA…IF ONLY THERE WERE STATE FARMS

Corona virus and lockdown have become two of the most used words across the world now as almost all countries are mentioning them in their respective countries.

Following measures takes across China and Europe during the novel Covid-19 outbreak, a typical is lockdown, Ghana also followed same, locking down two of its most biggest cities, Accra and Kumasi.

Before the lockdown announcement by the President on Sunday, March 29, 2020, rumours on social media revealed that there was going to be a possible lockdown.

The lockdown calls began coming in when Ghana began recording many cases after the first two on March 12.

The Ghana Medical Association was crucial in calling for the lockdown, arguing that it will be the safest way to tackle the spread of the Corona Virus.

Quickly the lockdown idea got into the minds of some section of Ghanaians, especially those on social media.

While they do so, providing reasons why there should be a lockdown on Accra and Kumasi where the cases were rising, the poor in those two cities began lamenting about the consequences.

Deducing from the argument in the country at the time, it was evident that the rich and middle class supported the lockdown while the poor lamented about the toll it will have on their petty businesses.

Irrespective of that, there were some poor citizens who said in interviews that they support the lockdown since they believe it will help eradicate the Covid-19.

Then the lockdown began on a bright Monday morning, March 30, 2020 amid a lot of shopping in markets and malls the weekend before.

While government was working at getting equipment to combat the virus, deploy the security forces, they were also thinking about how to feed some homeless Ghanaians living in Accra and Kumasi.

Soon news filming the sharing of food began as journalists were taken along to report on the food sharing exercise.

Aside sharing food to the poor, the Minister for Gender and Social Protection announced that they are accommodating about 15,000 poor and homeless people, most of whom are head porters and menial job workers in Agbogbloshie, Kaneshie, Accra Central, Madina, Kumasi among others.

These will sound like a very good initiative by government as it could be deem us advantageous to the poor.

But let us toss the coin and look at the other side, considering if there were State farms to employ these 15,000 poor and homeless people.

How long can government continue to feed and house all these people while they wake up every day without working?

That will have a big toll on our finances as it has already began doing, as it is been revealed by the Ministry, NADMO and other government agencies.

The Agriculture and Food chain sector is one that can absorb those people very quickly, an initiative that will help the country in times like these.

While I could go into revealing ideas of how to go about achieving this, I will rather urge government since it is not too late.

As we speak, we have lands, tractors, fertilizers and crop seeds belonging to government or can be afforded by government.

With a very brief and up-to-speed plan, the State Farms can be implemented right now, to cater for these homeless and poor people.

Middle class citizens who lost their jobs or unemployed can work in the value chain as supervisors and managers.

The State Farms will surely fuel us to set up very mini manufacturing plants to process and feed ourselves.

We can do it! Unless we find joy in politicizing the gesture being made to the poor at the era, something I am already witnessing.

Necessity they say is the mother of invention. Even if Kwame Nkrumah’s State Farms got mismanaged and collapsed, President Akufo-Addo can do so using that as mitigation against Covid-19.

After the virus, those State Farms will still be in operation, still providing jobs for thousands of our citizens.

But if we continue to share the food and in the haphazard manner it is being done, we will be causing ourselves more harm than good.

Few people who get infected by the virus amongst them can get others infected when they are rushing for the food.

Getting them employed will give government the opportunity to manage them and control them to adhere to the social distancing directive.

While we put up short term plans to fight the corona virus, let us look at those who can impact us enormously like the one I addressed in this short article.

ANTI-FEAR AND PANIC MESSAGING CRUCIAL IN CORONA VIRUS FIGHT

The world, its businesses and travels have come to a standstill, all due to the outbreak of Corona Virus Covid-19.
While powerful countries like America, Italy, Spain, U.K among others are doing all it takes to minimize the death tolls, less developed countries like Ghana is also doing its bit in safeguarding citizens.
One important aspect of the fight against Corona Virus is the education that is being sent across to citizens.
Since the first case was recorded in March, government through the ministries and agencies have been doing their best to educate Ghanaians on the novel Covid-19.
Contained in the education being put out there is mainly the prevention of the Corona Virus, thereby asking citizens to wash their hands regularly.
While advertisements are running on some media channels, the Minister of Health and other health experts of the government are also educating and sending out information about Corona Virus on many platforms that they find themselves.
However, one aspect of the education that is given less or no attention is that of reducing fear and panic.
Even though I have been thinking about the missing but critical messaging plan in the entire Corona Virus education, I got alarmed after listening to a report on the first Covid-19 case in Cape Coast.
According to the reporter who was reporting on the incident,  the case has led many natives of Cape Coast living in extreme fear and panic.
He added that the situation at Cape Coast has led to some natives fleeing the area amid near chaos and hullabaloo
The fear and panic among the people of Cape Coast can cause extra problems and spread of the virus than they may be thinking.
I will not want to go into the ripple effects of the fear and panic at Cape Coast but I will want to capitalize on that to point out at the mishaps in the Corona Virus education which gave less or no attention to anti-fear and panic messaging.
Even though Corona Virus is described as deadly, it is not very deadly as many citizens are portraying it.
The phenomenon of deeming Covid-19 highly deadly alone which resulted from misinformation of citizens should have been addressed in the Corona Virus education and advertisement.
Short and powerful advertising message like what is done with hand-washing and social distancing should have been implemented.
The message should have been used to reduce the fear and panic in Ghanaians, alerting them that it is not automatic that those who get the virus dies.
Secondly, recovery rates in other countries plus positive news about the Corona Virus medication should have been relayed to Ghanaians so they know that there is hope.
As it stands now, many citizens have never heard any Corona Virus survivor talking or being interviewed, thus they think everyone who gets infected dies.
The Tema-based patient who spoke to Citi TV on his recovery process should have been engaged by government or the Ministry to talk and assure Ghanaians.
With a patient talking about his experiences which are not different from a normal healthy person, citizens will have less fear, knowing that the disease is not as deadly as they might think.
I have personally had conversations with people who lamented about never seeing someone who recovered from Corona Virus.
These and other anti-fear and panic messages can be employed, thus should be used by government, the Ministry of Health and others going forward when it comes to Corona Virus education and advertising.
Furthermore, I think that anti-fear and panic education and messaging will curb the situation of patients running away.
The same education can be done when a patient is being tested and picked up for isolation. Officials must talk to them so they can relax their nerves, not feeling they will die.
The fear and panic is likely the main reason why some patients have absconded when they need to receive treatment instead.

CORONA VIRUS: NO SOCIAL DISTANCING IN ASANTE BEKWAI

The world is currently in a dilemma over the outbreak of the Corona Virus Covid-19 which began in the Wuhan Province in China.
While countries are doing all it takes to educate it's citizens and  take care of patients who are already infected with the virus, Ghana is also doing its part in the fight against the deadly virus.
Since March 12 when Ghana recorded its first 2 cases of Covid-19, government has been working around the clock to keep the cases minimal.
One of the very crucial steps that  the Ministry of  Health and the Ghana Health Service took was to sensitize Ghanaians on prevention of the fast-rising corona virus.
Few days after the country began recording cases, adverts to educate Ghanaians on the virus began running on some media channels.
The education was centered on prevention of the corona virus, asking citizens to wash their hands often and use hand sanitizers.
The advertisement also touched on social distancing as a way to prevent the corona virus which seems to be taking a lot of lives in the world currently.
Social distancing, has, however become a daunting task for many citizens as reports of its non-compliance have triggered me to write this article.
Watching television this morning, a viewer sent a text, lamenting on how many natives of Asante Bekwai are not observing the social distancing directive.
The text message alarmed me since I deem the current situation at Asante Bekwai as deadly, because those who are not observing the social distancing directive can easily get infected.
In as much as one will blame natives of the town for not adhering to the directives from government and the Ministry of Health, I will lay some blame at the doorstep of government.
As an expert in Communication Studies, I do not find the current government advertisement on Covid-19 detailing enough to stop the people of Asante Bekwai from gathering when they should be observing social distancing.
The advertisement from government agencies gave strict directives to prevent Corona Virus but failed to provide reasons why citizens must observe the directives.
Considering the literacy rate of most Ghanaians, the advertisement and education on Corona Virus should have given much details than it is currently.
Most of the citizens may have listened to the education, saying wash your hands, keep social distancing but do not know why they are being asked to do so.
The issue of body contact and droplets which can let someone get infected from an already infected person has not been clearly outlined.
Furthermore, already existing data from other countries who are currently suffering from the virus could have been used to educate Ghanaians so they could appreciate the devastating nature of Covid-19.
Notwithstanding, I do not see a lot of community education like it is being done for maternal health or HIV/AIDS.
We have not seen image illustrations printed and posted in communities to educate citizens on Covid-19.
The NCCE and other non-governmental organizations have not been engaged appropriately in educating citizens on the deadly nature of Covid-19.
The above communication mishaps in educating Ghanaians on Corona Virus is likely the reason why the people of Asante Bekwai are unable to observe social distancing.
My advise to government is to consider detailed education as an integral part of fighting Corona Virus, thus must consider a holistic approach to designing advertisement for the pandemic.