COVID-19 Measures: Parliament To Hold Sittings Only On Tuesdays And Thursdays From Next Week
As part of measures to curb the spread of COVID-19, the Speaker of Parliament Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Bagbin has announced that Parliament will from next week hold proceedings only on Tuesdays and Thursdays till further notice instead of the usual sitting from Tuesday to Friday.
According to the Speaker, only Members of Parliament and staff who are needed will attend the sitting. He emphasized that members who have tested positive for COVID-19 will not be permitted to attend sitting of the House.
The Speaker announced the new measures in Parliament on Thursday.
Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Bagbin warned that those who fail to comply with the directives will be named and shamed.
Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin has confirmed that some Members of Parliament have tested positive for COVID-19.
Although Mr. Bagbin did not disclose the names of the MPs affected, he admonished members of the House to take the COVID-19 safety protocols seriously and strictly adhere to them.
“Even in the House, some members are afflicted by the COVID-19. You may not know who the person is and because of the protocol issues of confidentiality, we are not disclosing those who are now COVID-19 victims. But we have some of us in that category,” he said.
The revelation by the Speaker follows a three-day health screening exercise organized for the MPs last week.
Earlier, Mr. Bagbin had expressed concern over the unwillingness of some Parliamentarians to go for the COVID-19 test scheduled for members.
According to reports, less than a third of the House participated in the event, forcing the exercise to be extended.
“We arranged with the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research to use three days and the three days are over but I am reliably informed that a number of our members have not yet taken the opportunity to either do the screening or to even undergo the COVID-19 test.
“Honorable members, I humbly urge that you all take this opportunity seriously and go test by the end of today,” he appealed on Tuesday, January 26, 2021.
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