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Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, Director-General, Ghana Health Service (GHS), has expressed worry over the increasing number of people defying the protocol to wear facemasks in public places; as part of measures to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said a survey that was conducted by the Service over a three-week period revealed that over 54 per cent of the people that they had sampled were not wearing the mask, which was a major source of worry.

Dr Kuma-Aboagye said this on Thursday at the meet the press series organised by the Ministry of Information to give an update on the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said the gains that were made in bringing down the rate of spread of the disease was due to the fact that people were protecting themselves through the wearing masks, social distancing and hand washing.

He said the wearing of mask was very crucial and the evidence was strong that for them to be able to maintain and contain the disease, there was the need to ensure that more and more people would be using or applying the protocols.

He said one of the most sensitive protocols for containing COVID-19 was the use of the mask.

He noted that there was no excuse for people to drop their guards (masks); adding that “COVID is not yet gone. We have done well to keep it under control and we need to continue doing that so that we don’t risk escalating it again”.

He said it was extremely important that Ghanaians reset, go back and start wearing the mask, so that the cases would continue to go down.

“We started with one case and we’ve got to 42,000. So, where we are now, we have an uneasy calm. We need to intensify the campaign for people to keep wearing the mask.”

He urged the media to mobilise people to keep wearing the mask and observe other COVID-19 protocols, as part of measures to reduce the burden of COVID-19.

He said the gains that that nation had made were due to compliance with the protocols including the high level of the wearing of the mask.

He noted that the nation risked escalating the numbers if Ghanaians continue on the path of not wearing mask.

Dr Kuma-Aboagye said there was the need for people to continue wearing the mask.