I have tested negative for COVID-19, go and test -Speaker tells MPs

The Speaker of Parliament, Rt Hon Prof Mike Oquaye, has urged Members of Parliament to use the few days they would be spending in the House to undertake a voluntary test for the Coronavirus (COVID-19).

The Speaker, who was advising the members to stay safe while they embarked on an indefinite suspension, said he took the test three days ago and was negative, and urged them take the test and get to know their status.

“As we go on this indefinite suspension, stay safe. May Coronavirus stay away from you. I took the test three days ago and my results were negative, praise to the Living God. All members who wish to undertake this voluntarily test should do so.”

Though the reason for the Speaker’s directives wasn’t explicitly stated, it would be recalled that the World Health Organisation put in place measures countries should follow in order to contain the Spread of the pandemic COVID-19.

One of such measures was for individuals and groups of people to observe some form of social distance when they converge at a particular place.

The law-making bodies of some countries, per this directive, suspended their sittings for fear of infecting each other with the disease.

However, Ghana’s Parliament continued to sit despite the worry expressed by a section of the public and some of its own members.

They, instead, made sure their members were at least protected by providing some hand sanitisers, fumigating the house and also checking members’ and visitors’ temperatures before entering the House.

The reason given by the leaders for the sittings was that there some bills which were all in the bid to fight the disease and needed to be passed, and that parliament couldn’t have carried out such a mandate if it had suspended sittings.

It was, therefore, necessary and prudent that the Speaker urge them to take the test and be aware of their status for their own well-being, that of their families, and the country as a whole.

 

By Agnes Ansah / www.thechronicle.com.gh

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