JOHANNESBURG - The Ghana Tourism Authority has announced the indefinite closure of all the beaches in the country in light of the Coronavirus outbreak.
The department also sent out a reminder to the public about the government's directives to suspend all public gatherings.
This follows President Nana Akufo-Addo’s decision to ban all public gatherings as a measure to prevent the spread of the virus. The ban affected schools, church services, mosque meetings and even sporting activities in the country.
"In this regard, the GTA hereby orders all beaches to be closed to the public until further notice. The GTA with the support of the National Sercurity and the Ghana Police Services will begin patrols from Tuesday, March 24 2020 to ensure compliance with the closure order," GTA said a statement.
GTA also urged the public to be mindful of the precautionary measures in order to fight the virus with the confirmed number of cases sitting at 27.
The country has since recorded its second death from Coronavirus (Covid-19) and a total of 521 suspected cases have been tested by the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR) and Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research (KCCR), according to the Ghana Health Service (GHS).
Akufo-Addo declared Wednesday a national day of fasting and prayer as the West African country grapples with Covid-19.
In an address broadcast on television, Akufo-Addo appealed to Christians and Muslims to pray for God's protection. He also urged Ghanaians to comply with measures put in place to stem the spread of the disease and applauded those at the forefront of the fight against the pandemic now affecting more than 292,000 people around the world.