Lockdown enforcement around the world has ranged from FLORIDA charging a pastor who violated orders against mass gatherings, to AUSTRALIA fining even citizens who gather in groups of two or more.
Previously in MALAYSIA, *police enforcement was done in the soft and advisory mode, then it changed into the stern mode, and now it has entered the harsh mode.
Malaysia reports one of the highest arrest rates, with 4,189 people arrested for loitering since March 18*, including 1,449 charged in court.
MALAYSIA says people are now adhering to the Social Distancing Protocols (SDPs) and Stay At Home orders. MALAYSIA saw the presence of citizens at retail and recreation sites decrease by 81% on Sunday, compared with about a month earlier.
GHANA, the Police has said they would arrest citizens who disobey the directive of the president to stay at home from Monday, April 13.
According to the police, the move has become expedient following the surge in cases of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the ‘stay home’ directive, many appear careless and flout the directive with impunity.
Speaking in a video produced by the Ghana Police Service, DCOP Kwaku Boadu Peprah, Director General in charge of National Operations said the service does not expect people to be loitering about anyhow during the third week of the lockdown.
”Now we have entered the third week so we expect everyone to stay at home. If they refuse to stay at home, now we are going to arrest people that we see loitering. We expect everybody to respect the presidential order. Stay at home and then you protect yourself. We don’t want people to be loitering. Trotros busing people to Accra Central. We are not going to allow that so from tomorrow going, we are going to be tough on them,” he said.
The rate of arrests is highest in the PHILIPPINES, where police arrested more than 20,000 lockdown violators, and Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte asked PHILIPPINES police to “shoot them dead” if needed.
Writters;O.B. Dickson, Edem K Spio and Dennis Adjei
Ghana| Atinkaonline.com