“I, in consultation with the leadership, decided that the session of the house should be suspended for three weeks,” said the president of the house, Alban Bagbin, on Tuesday.
17 members of parliament and 151 officials and auxiliary workers were infected with the virus. The parliament will be suspended from Wednesday until March 2, while the facilities are disinfected and sanitized.
“During this time, honorable members must comply with Covid-19’s strict protocols and regulations,” said Bagbin. He asked members and staff to test the virus in two weeks.
According to previous Covid-19 restrictions, announced on February 5, only a third of the members could sit in the chamber at any time. Parliament arranged for its members to be tested earlier this month, but some members refused, Bagbin said during a February 3 session.
The West African nation recorded more than 73,000 cases of Covid-19 and 482 deaths, according to data from John Hopkins University.
Akufo-Addo announced new restrictions on January 31, which included a ban on funerals, weddings, concerts, theater performances and parties.
“In fact, fellow Ghanaians, we have a lot of work to do to tackle the disease,” he said in a speech. “Given that recent studies show that the UK and other new variants are being transmitted within the population, we should all understand that our current situation can become very difficult if efforts are not made, both by the government and by you, the citizens, to help contain the virus. ”
Ghana plans to vaccinate its entire population, initially targeting 20 million people, with the first vaccine available in March.