First Lady Mrs Rebecca Akufo-Addo has reiterated the call for Ghanaians to wear facemasks in public to prevent the further spread of the coronavirus.

“The simple things are often the hardest to do consistently. However, to fight Covid-19, we need to wear our masks,” Mrs Akufo-Addo said in a Facebook post.

She encouraged Ghanaians to “do the needful by wearing the masks, sanitising and practicing social distancing.”

The First Lady’s advice comes on the back of the reopening of school across the country amidst a spike in COVID-19 cases in the country.

President Nana Akufo-Addo in his 22nd COVID-19 update on Sunday, 17 January 2021 disclosed that the new COVID-19 variant has been recorded at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA).

The President, thus, directed the Inspector General of Police to ensure the strict adherence to the measures against the spread of the virus especially the compulsory wearing of facemasks in public.

The active cases stand at 1,924 as at Sunday, 17 January.

The number of severe cases, which stood at 18 a week ago, has increased to 120.

The number of confirmed deaths has increased from 338 persons to 352.