President Akufo-Addo has announced that people who fail to wear nose/face masks in public places do so at their own risk as aside contracting the virus they can be fined GH¢12,000 to GH¢60,000, or face a prison sentence of four to 10 years.
This new directive was listed in a new Executive Instrument (E.I. 164) signed by His Excellency Nana Akufo-Addo on June 15, 2020, as part of measures to tamp down the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID -19).
According to the Monday, June 15, published E.I. 164 sighted by Georgeweb.org, the compulsory wearing of face masks shall be in force for three months and shall apply to all parts of Ghana.
The E.I. was issued by the President pursuant to the powers granted him under the Imposition of Restrictions Act, 2020 (Act 1012).
As stated in the new E.I, it compulsory for everybody in Ghana to “wear face masks, face shields or any other face covering that covers his or her nose and mouth completely when the person is in public or leaving or returning to his home.”
Paragraph 4 (1) of the E.I. 164, states that the Ghana police have the authority to make random checks to “ensure enforcement compliance”
In paragraph 4(2) of E.I. 164, any person who fails to comply with the compulsory wearing of face/nose masks shall be punished in accordance with Section 6 of Act 1012.
According to Section 6 of Act 1012, “a person who fails to comply with the restrictions imposed under the Executive Instrument issued under subsection 1 of Section 2 commits an offense and is liable on summary conviction to a fine of not less than 1,000 penalty unit (Gh¢12,000) and not more than 5,000 penalty units (Gh¢ 60,000) or to a term of imprisonment not less than four years and not more than 10 years or to both.”
Source: website.com
