Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council (GPCC) is set to roll out a nationwide sustained “Public Prevention Awareness Education (PPAE)” on the pandemic through its network of over 200 member denominations and over 50,000 branches across the country. This, the Council said is part of its efforts to support the government of Ghana to contain and prevent the spread of the two coronavirus (COVID-19) cases confirmed in the country.

Personal Hygiene
This was said in a statement issued by National Executive Council of GPCC on Friday, 13 March 2020. The statement signed by the General Secretary of the Council, Rev. Emmanuel T. Barrigah said while pursuing the PPAE on personal hygiene and protection, “we are also urging all local assemblies of our member churches to, particularly, adopt the following suggested practical steps for the time being, to protect their local Congregations from any potential infections: Shun all fake news on various social media platforms on possible treatment and prevention as they follow strict guidelines as issued by the accredited government agencies responsible for public education on the disease; minimise church or congregational practices that encourage body contact such as hand-shaking, hugging/embracing, exchange of communion cups, and waving of handkerchiefs”.
Additionally, the Council urged churches leaders to regularly disinfect their microphones and door handles before, during and after church services, to place sanitiser dispensers or hand-washing dispensers at the entrances or vantage points including urinals/lavatories within the church premises and encourage members to use them before, during and after church services.
Further, the Council advise its members to provide protective latex hand gloves for church ushers, workers handling or counting money coupled with any other practical steps that the local church deems fit in support of the preventive approaches being suggested.

Commended President
The General Secretary noted that, it has been monitoring events concerning the “outbreak and rapid spread of the COVID-19 globally since its discovery in China late last year” as well as “its emergence in Nigeria, Togo, Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast in the last few days and eventually in Ghana on Thursday, 12 March 2020”.
“Though alarming”, the GPCC “calls for calmness, vigilance and absolute responsibility by all Ghanaians to prevent its further spread and minimise deaths and any other negative impact on our socio-economic life”.
GPCC also commended President Nana Akufo-Addo and the government for “demonstrating high-level of commitment so far by the recent launch and activation of the EOC on COVID-19 as well as the release of US$100m to support the coordination of a national response to this pandemic.”
The Council wishes to call on all Ghanaians, as a matter of urgency, “to take personal and collective responsibility for protecting ourselves against any potential spread of this deadly virus, which has already been declared by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as a global pandemic”.

Prayer
The General Secretary urge Ghanaians to exercise their faith in God through prayer, standing on the Word of God in Psalms 91 and 121.
The Council believes that knowledge and a better understanding of the disease, including the adoption of practical behavioural and attitudinal changes by all Ghanaians are the surest ways to minimise the potential spread and impact of the COVID-19 outbreak.
The Council said it would also be “liaising with the Christian Health Associations of Ghana (CHAG) to explore other support that would be needed by its members, particularly their institutions providing services in remote rural communities along borders with our neighbouring countries”.
The statement concluded by calling on all Ghanaians to continue to pray for God’s protection over the Country, “let us also remember our compatriots in Nigeria, Togo, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast and all other countries of the world in prayers. God bless our Homeland Ghana and make our nation great and strong”.

SOURCE: GPCC NEWS
www.gpccghana.org