A Facebook post purports that zoo animals in Chicago were freed to protest against the killing of George Floyd.

The photos of the zoo animals on the street are old photos of incidents occurring in different countries and have been on the Internet since at least, 2014. They have no relation whatsoever with the George Floyd protests in America. Furthermore, the Chicago zoo, Lincoln Park Zoo, has debunked the claim and has assured that there have been no break-ins and all their animals are fully accounted for as safe.

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Over the last week, the streets of the United States of America witnessed several protests, more than the coronavirus lockdown protests in April 2020. For ten consecutive nights, people across the country took to the streets to demand for justice and protest against racism and police brutalities with the theme Black Lives Matter, following the killing of an African-American man, George Floyd, by four white Minneapolis officers on 25 May 2020. 

Beside the mass protests on streets of many cities across the nation, social media has also been a tool for the Black Lives Matter activism. It has, undeniably, also been a source of updates for the on-going protests. One of such perceived updates is a Facebook post which claims that people in Chicago have broken into the zoo and freed animals to join the protests. The post is accompanied with seven photos of a hippopotamus, tiger, kangaroo, lion, zebra on the street and two monkeys with two men. 

Since it was posted on 1st June, has been shared by 626 other Facebook users. 

Verification

The Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago has confirmed that none of its animals has escaped, and all were safe, consequently refuting the claim.

The Lincoln Park Zoo made this statement in a Twitter post on June 1, 2020.

“All animals at Lincoln Park Zoo are accounted for and safe. There were no break-ins, thefts or incidents last night. Images circulating, claiming to be of Lincoln Park Zoo animals out of their habitats, are false” the statement read.

Additionally, none of Chicago’s state publications and mainstream media, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here,  has reported on claims of Chicago protests pertaining to  breaking into a zoo to let animals out to join street protests. The protests in Chicago, have generally been reported as peaceful.

The Photos Explained

• Dubawa ran a Google image search on all seven photos of the animals and found the following:

1. The photo of the hippopotamus

Two news articles in the UK and in Spain, posted four years ago, on 5 May 2016, indicate that the photo of the hippopotamus has no relation with the Floyd protests. The hippopotamus was reported to have escaped from a visiting circus in Palos de la Frontera, in Spain. It was found and taken back to the circus.

2. The photo of the tiger

According to three articles in the US, here, here and here, which were posted three years ago, on 6 and 7 September 2017, the photo of the tiger is also an incident of an escaped circus tiger, Suzy, who escaped from a truck and was seen in Atlanta. The tiger was eventually gunned down.

3. The photo of the wallaby

The photo of the wallaby is also a stock photo, according to three articles, here, here, and here, which were posted two years ago, on 16 January 2018. The wallaby was seen hopping over the Sydney Harbour Bridge, in Australia. It was subsequently captured by the police and taken back to custody.

4. The photo of the lion

This lion has featured in other false claims, most recently, it was purported to have been set loose by Russian President, Vladimir Putin to ensure Russian abide by lockdown directives. An article posted on 15 April 2016, shows that the photo of the lion is of an incident that happened in Johannesburg, South Africa. The lion, Columbus, was part of a film and the film company released him without getting approval to close roads in the city.

5. The photo of the zebra

According to a post from five years ago, the photo of the zebra was associated with a ‘Louisville Purge’ incident, a story started by a teenager’s tweet announcing a free-for-all violent-purge in the city of Louisville in the US. This story was later confirmed to be a hoax, according to articles here, and here, both posted six years ago, on 16 August 2014. Since the story was identified to be false, it is certain the photos of the zebra have no association with the story either. The photo, however, has been on the Internet since at least August 2014 and is not associated with the George Floyd protests.

While Google Image searches show that Twitter posts similarly make claims of the photo of the man in Chicago purported to be selling a monkey for 10K, and the photo of a man purported to have stolen a monkey named Curious George, to be from the Chicago protests, however, searches on TinEye here and here, do not show any other original appearances of such photos.

Conclusion

The claim that people have freed animals in Chicago to protest is false. All the photos of the zoo animals on the street are old photos of incidents occurring in different countries and have been on the Internet since at least, 2014. They have no relation whatsoever with the George Floyd protests in any American city. Furthermore, the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago has debunked the claim and has assured that there have been no break-ins and that all their animals have been accounted for as safe and under safe protection in the zoo.

A Facebook post claims the National Chief Imam has said there will be no Friday prayers for Muslims until further notice

A press release signed by the Chairman of the National Chief Imam Advisory Board states that large mosques, especially in urban areas, are discouraged from holding Friday prayers until further notice. Smaller mosques and institutionalized mosques are, however, allowed to gather for prayers within stipulated guidelines for such gatherings.

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As a measure taken to contain the spread of Coronavirus, President Nana Akufo-Addo introduced an abridged format for religious services when he announced the ease of restrictions concerning public gatherings on May 31, 2020. He, thereby, outlined some protocols to be followed by churches or mosques that are willing to open their buildings for services. The guidelines include a maximum of 100 congregants for one-hour service by both faiths.

Consequently, there have been a number of responses to the President’s measures for religious institutions, with some churches opting against opening their buildings for in-person services. The Office of the National Chief Imam also informed members of the Islamic community of his stance in a press release.

Following this, a Facebook user claimed that the National Chief Imam has cautioned that there will be ‘No Friday prayers for Muslims until further notice’.

The claim is misleading.

Verification

A press release signed by Mammmah Gado Mohammed, the chairman of the National Chief Imam Advisory Board has addressed the said claim. 

In the statement, gathering in mosques by a large congregation for Friday prayers is discouraged until further notice:

“In view of the high risk of losing control of huge congregational sizes, pursuant to the directive of the president limiting the number of worshipers to 100, Jumu’a Salat in major mosques, particularly in urban areas, should be discouraged until further notice,” the statement reads.

Concerning smaller mosques, the release states further that; “Where applicable Jumu’a prayers should be held at minor/lower masjids (mosques) concurrently in all communities with high Muslim concentration, with the number of worshippers not exceeding 100”.

The statement also adds that Jumu’a Prayers may be held at institutional mosques, such as the police, military and others where there is sufficient control.

Conclusion

The Chief Imam has not cautioned against Friday prayers for Muslims, contrary to the Facebook user’s claim. A press release signed by the Chairman of the National Chief Imam Advisory board states unequivocally that prayers in large mosques, especially in urban areas, should be discouraged until further notice. 

The statement, however, permits smaller mosques and institutionalized mosques to gather for prayers within stipulated safety preventive measures against coronavirus, for all such gatherings.

A leaked video claims that Bill Gates made a presentation to the CIA on COVID-19 vaccines for modifying the brain of religious fanatics

The video is an old video that has been in circulation since at least June 2011. It resurfaced in May 2020. The speaker making a presentation on vaccines to the CIA is not Bill Gates, according to a spokesperson at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

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Bill Gates’ association with finding a COVID-19 vaccine has fueled a number of conspiracy theories and claims by people from various parts of the world.  One of such is a video which has recently been posted by an Internet user. In the four-minute video dated April 13, 2005, a man, purported to be Bill Gates, is seen making a presentation on vaccines for religious fanatics, to a group, purported to be the CIA. 

The video, which was posted on May 20, 2020, and is also circulating on WhatsApp, is accompanied by a caption which reads:

Leaked video of Bill Gates presentations to CIA in 2005. in brief… video discusses a PLANNED viral outbreak that would be followed up by vaccination program. vaccine to be the carrier for genetic modification chemical that would modify central brain of RELIGIOUS FANATICS. Then their focus was middle East…China’s Focus then and now are Christians. Bill Gates Foundation NOW focus is Africa & India. My humble opinion is COVID19 VACCINATIONS will be used as a carrier for GM the human race…

Verification

Dubawa found the same video on YouTube dated June 1, 2011. This clearer version reveals the face of the speaker, and it proves that the speaker in the video is not Bill Gates. 

Furthermore, according to Reuters, an email from a spokesperson for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation also confirmed that the speaker is not Bill Gates.

Dubawa also has two main observations concerning the period of the video’s first circulation in June 2011. Firstly, the speaker in the video was not previously linked to Bill Gates but was considered part of a ‘leaked Pentagon video’. Yet, its recent re-circulation in May 2020 has been attributed to Gates, perhaps because of his involvement in an ongoing campaign for urgency to find  COVID-19 vaccines which are viewed with suspicion by some people.

In addition, the video has, since its first circulation, been widely scrutinized by Internet users who have subjected it to different interpretations mainly of religion and science. Some articles suggest the content of the video to be the government of America’s ploy to alter human minds and control human behaviour. On the other hand, some checks state the video to possibly be an unfinished movie project called ‘FunVax’ by director Ryan Harper.

While the intent of the video remains unconfirmed, it is certain the speaker in the video is not Bill Gates, contrary to the claim.

Conclusion

The supposed leaked video of Bill Gates’ presentation on COVID-19 vaccines to the CIA is false. The video, which has been in circulation since 2011, was initially purported to be a pentagon leaked video that is now being associated with Bill Gates. 

Not only does the video itself clearly reveal that the presenter in the video is not Bill Gates, a spokesperson from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation also confirmed that the speaker in the video is not Bill Gates.

Confirmed cases are suspected cases of Covid-19 whereas those declared positive are people who actually have the Covid-19 virus. 

Individuals who test positive for COVID-19 are considered as confirmed cases. 

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During a late-night discussion on UTV’s Late News Discussion on May 24, 2020, Kwame Baffoe Abronye, NPP Regional Chairman for Bono East, stated that coronavirus cases declared or placed under the ‘confirmed’ bracket actually refers to suspected cases while those under the ‘positive’ bracket are cases that have been taken through the necessary procedures and found to be carrying the coronavirus. 

This claim was posted on Facebook and has so far garnered 6.3K views and 135 shares since the video was posted some 21 hours ago.

“…the doctors say that when you see “confirmed”, it means they suspect but that doesn’t mean that the person has the coronavirus. Once you see that it means they suspect you have it, it doesn’t mean you have. We also have positive…we have three things: we have confirmed, positive and we have death. When you see “confirmed” it means it has gotten to the stage where they quarantine you to see if you have the disease in your system...We had the experts…we’ve had the former Director-General, Dr Nsiah-Asare, explain to us that when we see confirmed it does not mean the person has tested positive but that “confirmed” means we suspect it,” Mr Abronye said.

When asked by the host of the show if the word “confirmed” really means a person does not have Covid-19, Mr Abronye responded that it depends on the interpretation one wants to give it. 

But what do experts mean by “confirmed” in relation to Covid-19 cases?

Verification

Dubawa spoke to Dr James Aboagye, a postdoctoral fellow at the Noguchi Memorial Centre, who stated that from the Noguchi’s end, a confirmed case is a case that has tested positive. 

“A confirmed case is a positive case because what we are looking for is the virus and once a person is confirmed, he or she is positive for the virus,” Dr Aboagye said.

He further stated that unlike suspected cases where the individual is assumed or thought to have the virus, confirmed cases are for scenarios where the individual tests positive for the virus after tests have been run. 

The Public Relations Officer of Ghana Health Service (GHS), Jacob Andoh, said a person who has been tested and found positive is the same as a confirmed case. 

“A confirmed case is the same as a positive case,” Mr Andoh said.

Case definitions or classifications for diagnosis

The WHO case classifications are categorized into suspected cases, probable cases and confirmed cases.

Suspected Case refers to three situations: 1) a patient with acute respiratory illness (fever and at least one sign/symptom of respiratory disease, e.g., cough, shortness of breath) and a history of travel to or residence in a location reporting community transmission of COVID-19 disease during the 14 days prior to symptom onset; 2) a patient with any acute respiratory illness and has been in contact with a confirmed or probable COVID-19 case in the last 14 days prior to symptom onset; and 3) a patient with severe acute respiratory illness (fever and at least one sign/symptom of respiratory disease, e.g., cough, shortness of breath, requiring hospitalization) and in the absence of an alternative diagnosis that fully explains the clinical presentation. 

Probable Case: A suspect case for whom testing for the COVID-19 virus is inconclusive or a suspect case for whom testing could not be performed for any reason. 

Confirmed Case: A person with laboratory confirmation of COVID-19 infection, irrespective of clinical signs and symptoms. 

The CDC also categorises Covid-19 diagnoses into three stages: 

Person Under Investigation: This is a person who has exhibited symptoms of COVID-19 and is in the process of being tested. 

Presumptive Positive: This is an individual who tested positive for COVID-19 at a state or local laboratory. At least one respiratory sample must be positive for a case to be labelled presumptive positive.

Confirmed Positive: This is a person who tested positive for COVID-19 at a CDC laboratory. At least one respiratory sample must be positive by the CDC for it to be labelled confirmed positive. 

In Ghana, reports on the coronavirus surveillance are based on the confirmed cases, recoveries, and deaths as seen on the GHS website. Confirmed cases have been regarded as positive cases and not suspected as claimed by Mr Abronye.

Conclusion

Therefore, Mr Abroye’s incorrect claim on the definition of ‘confirmed’ cases is a misleading semantic confusion that should be disregarded. 

WHO’s classifications are unambiguous and remain the standard for the whole world facing the same virus. The denotative meaning of the word confirm in English–British or American–dictionary is semantically too distant from ‘suspect’ in standard English usage. 

Dew mineral water is contaminated and unsafe for drinking.

The message is an old one that keeps resurfacing. The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) said in 2011 when it was first reported that the claim was false because there is no such water brand in Ghana. It still does not exist in Ghana.

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A viral message is warning consumers against drinking Dew bottled water.  It claims the bottled water contains a poisonous chemical that has already killed 180 people in Tanzania.

“Hello, please pass this on to any friends on your contact list. I just got this. Please, don’t buy or drink any bottled water called “DEW”. It was shipped from Tanzania where it has killed 180 people.  It is said to contain a poisonous chemical. Please pass this on and save millions. If you don’t believe, check google for “DEW bottled water,” the message reads.

It also requests users to pass on the information to warn other consumers, thereby potentially saving “millions” from also dying.

Verification

It appears the message has been debunked several times over the years but refuses to die. Our checks, using Google image search and web search with the keywords ‘Dew bottled water’, indicate that the claim has been online since 2011 and has popped up several times in subsequent years.

It was reported in 2011 in Ghana that Dew, a non-existent bottled water that contained poison, had made its way into markets in Nigeria and Ghana from Tanzania where it had killed 180 people.

Ghana’s Food and Drugs Board (FDB), now Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), at the time said in a press release that it had not registered any such product. It advised the public to report any person who offered any water branded as DEW Bottled Water for sale.

The FDB also said it had established that the rumour was false after carrying out investigations, including post-market surveillance activities and contacts with Nigeria’s National Agency for Food Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the Tanzanian Bureau of Standards.

NAFDAC of Nigeria said it had investigated the claims and found that they were “false and mischievous.”

Dubawa further reached out to the FDA to authenticate the current claim.

“The allegation is so so old. The same picture has been circulating for years in many countries…it was investigated many years ago,” the FDA said.

“The product (Coral Dew Bottle Water) is not on the Ghanaian market and the FDA Ghana has not registered the product for use or sale in Ghana,” the FDA further confirmed.

Checks from the registered products listed on the official website of the Food and Drugs Authority showed no results for Coral Dew Mineral Water.

Furthermore, our web search did not reveal the existence of the bottled water or any reported deaths in Tanzania or elsewhere attributed to any such brand.

Conclusion

Nine years on, there is no new evidence that proves this claim to be true. The claim is an old one which keeps reappearing on social media and should be disregarded.

A Facebook post suggests millions of people have gone missing as a result of the rapture

The pictures attached in the post give the impression that rapture had occurred while the text accompanying it states otherwise. It is a “premonition” of how the aftermath of the biblical rapture will be captured in the media.

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Messages circulating on social media suggest that the rapture has occurred without many people knowing or noticing. Speculations regarding the post suggest that many Christians have been left behind and are wailing because they did not make the rapture. 

The post has, since its publication on May 16^th, 2020 generated 467 shares on Facebook and unknown numbers on the WhatsApp platform. It is supported with pictures of three breaking news headlines from CNN, Aljazeera and The BBC.

The text in the post, however, speaks futuristically, stating that the pictures depict what the media space will look like after the rapture occurs.

Reactions to the post were mixed with many outrightly disregarding it and pronouncing it as fake while others expressed belief and fear. Some other Facebook users offered prayers in the comments section to appeal for the forgiveness of sins.

Verification

The first image in the post as seen here is actually a screenshot taken when ABC newsreader Natasha Exelby missed her cue on live television in 2017. This was revealed through a Google Reverse Image Search.  This photo’s original version has been edited with CNN’s logo replacing that of ABC.  

The second image as seen here is a photofunia effect that can be used to produce breaking news images. The user can insert the channel preference, title, headline, and choose any photo they want to use for producing a breaking news image. This particular effect has been used for many fake news productions as seen in the TinEye Reverse Image Search conducted and in this Facebook post. 

The final “breaking news image”  showed Senior News presenter for Aljazeera English, Lauren Taylor, with the breaking news headline reading “Millions of Christians Disappear”  and a crawler stating that a pastor disappeared during a sermon and that people have gone missing all over the world. This is fake as the original image was taken from an Aljazeera English Live news broadcast on December 25^th, 2017 found on YouTube. This was discovered after a Google Reverse Image Search was run on the picture.

 Conclusion

The images attached to the circulating post tell a different story from what is being relayed in the textual parts of the post. Furthermore, the pictures attached to the post are all edited to falsely convey a message suggesting that the rapture has occurred.

Madagascar quits the World Health Organisation (WHO) and has been offered 20 million dollars by the WHO to kill their Covid-Organics cure.

Madagascar has neither quit the WHO nor has WHO offered it 20 million dollars to kill the country’s herbal drink, Covid-Organics. This was confirmed by the WHO country offices in Madagascar and in Ghana. Also, the France 24 interview purporting to be the source of both claims reveals no such information.

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Madagascar has recently made the headlines with the introduction and launch of their locally manufactured herbal drink ‘Covid-Organics’, as a cure for Covid-19. The cure, which has been embraced by some African leaders, has, however, been cautioned by the WHO for the reason that it has not yet been scientifically tested for its efficacy. 

Online publications on Madagascar’s Covid-Organics and the WHO have included two main claims: one purporting that Madagascar has left the WHO, and another stating that the WHO has offered Madagascar’s president, Andry Rajoelina, 20 million dollars to poison Covid-Organics.

The case of Madagascar quitting the WHO

According to the claim, Mr Rajoelina has announced that his country has withdrawn its membership of the organisation and has further advised all other Africans to follow suit, by allegedly explaining that, “Europe created organisations with the desire for Africans to remain dependent on them.”

Other articles that have also made this claim referenced an interview the Mr Rajoelina had on France 24 to be the source of the president’s announcement to quit the WHO.

The case of WHO offering Madagascar $20 million to poison Covid-Organics

According to the claim, Mr Rajoelina has announced yet again that the WHO offered him 20 million dollars to put a little toxin in the Covid-Organics because Europeans have hacked the Covid-19 cure. He allegedly cautioned that, “People be vigilant, the World Health Organization that we have joined by thinking that it will help us, is there to kill Africans”. 

Several other articles that have also published this claim have attributed the source of the claim to a Tanzanian local newspaper, ‘Tanzania Perspective’. In addition, a Kiswahili-based local newspaper, ‘Fahari Yetu’, which shares the same publishers with the Tanzania Perspective, also published this claim, indicating that the source of the Madagascar president’s declaration is the interview he had on France 24.

Verification

Dubawa found the interview with France 24 where Mr Rajoelina is purported to have made both claims. In the interview, the president of Madagascar is seen addressing the criticisms Covid-Organics had received so far. He stated that it was because the cure was from Madagascar and not from a European country that such sceptical reactions have been given to the cure. Mr Rajoelina stated in the France 24 interview that, “No country or organisation will keep us from going forward.”

In the interview, however, the president of Madagascar made no mention whatsoever of the withdrawal of his country from the WHO nor of any 20 million dollar offer from the WHO to poison the Covid-Organics as purported.

Meanwhile, Madagascar is currently listed under the  African countries that the WHO operates in, indicating that the country is still a member of the organisation.

Dubawa further contacted the WHO country offices in Ghana and Madagascar to verify both claims. Both offices stated that both claims were false. 

“The information is not true,” the WHO Ghana office stated, in response to the organisation’s alleged 20 million dollar offer to the Madagascar president. 

“It is absolutely fake news. Madagascar is still a member of the board for the past three years now,’’ the WHO Madagascar office confirmed when asked about Madagascar’s membership of the WHO. 

Conclusion

The claims stating that Madagascar has quit the World Health Organisation, and has been offered 20 million dollars by the organisation to kill the Covid-Organics project is false. 

The interview purporting to be the source of the president of Madagascar’s declaration of both claims does not reveal any such information. Furthermore, the WHO country offices in both Ghana and Madagascar have also stated that both claims are false.

The police who were sent to arrest Bishop Obinim went back to his house for prayers following his release on bail.

Bishop Obinim was still in Police custody at the time the photos started making the rounds. The photo in the posts is dated and unrelated to his recent arrest.

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Information circulating on social media and online portals suggests that the Head Pastor of the International God’s Way Church, Bishop Daniel Obinim, also known as Angel Obinim, has been released after making bail and was photographed while praying for the very police officials who arrested him. The post shows a picture of Mr Obinim praying for eight kneeling police officers. 

Other versions of the story as published by some news and information portals like bbcghana.com, with the headline “Police Officers Run To Angel Obinim For Prayers Amidst Arrest – BEGS the angel for forgiveness of SINS” have also been circulated. This particular publication has made it into other portals like operanewsap.com.

Verification

Dubawa’s Google reverse image search revealed that the picture showing the eight police officers being prayed for by Mr Obinim has been in circulation in the media space since 2019. It cannot, therefore, be connected to the ongoing events of the pastor’s arrest for false publication and forgery in 2020. The specific reason for the purported prayers remains unknown. However, adomfmonline.com reported that the officers were receiving blessings from Obinim at the time of writing their report in 2019.

It is worth noting that at the time the pictures started circulating on May 20, Mr Obinim was still in Police custody. He was released from custody on Friday, May 23 after meeting bail conditions.

Conclusion

Bishop Obinim was still in custody at the time the photos and information popped up. The pictures are first appeared online in 2019 and therefore cannot be related to recent happenings.

From the onset of the novel coronavirus pandemic, discussions on ways to mitigate the spread of the disease have been rife. Key among the topics generating information output is how individuals can cost-effectively protect themselves using face, medical or surgical masks to avoid contracting the disease. Some have gone as far as suggesting that some articles of clothing like underwears can be used as protective coverings against the coronavirus. This is not surprising as the price of surgical and medical masks have increased significantly since the onset of the pandemic.

There have, however, been varied and changing views on whether or not facial protective items should be worn by all or some and how it should be worn. 

The Changing Narrative

The World Health Organisation (WHO) and other health authorities including the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) did not, at the outset of Covid-19, recommend the use of face masks by healthy individuals in the community setting, restricting its use to only persons infected by the virus, their caregivers, and frontline workers. This stance, according to the WHO, is based on the lack of evidence available on its usefulness in protecting people who are not Covid-19 positive. 

The WHO still maintains that healthy individuals need not use medical masks as they are to be prioritized for healthcare workers.  It has, however, given the go-ahead for decision-makers to implement the use of nonmedical masks by citizens. 

The CDC, on the other hand, has approved now the use of cloth face masks. According to the organisation, recent studies show that individuals who are asymptomatic and those who do not show early symptoms may transmit the virus before they start to show. Therefore, the wearing of masks can help slow the spread of the virus in areas that do not enable appropriate social distancing. 

Types of masks and the upsurge in cloth masks

Various types of face masks are being used to curb the spread of Covid-19. Key among them are the recommended medical masks for health care facilities which are the US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)-certified N95, European Union (EU) standard FFP2, or equivalent. 

Non-medical masks or cloth face coverings have also gained popularity following the shortage of medical masks. They are not considered to be medical because they have not been tested for fluid resistance, filtration efficiency, that is, particulate filtration and bacterial filtration efficiency, flammability and biocompatibility. This type of mask is what has been approved by the CDC for communal use by healthy individuals. 

Some specifications for Masks

Generally, medical or surgical masks should meet some basic requirements to be effective in providing protection to the user. For instance, an appropriate medical or surgical mask should help block large-particle droplets, splashes, sprays, or splatters that may contain viruses and bacteria from reaching the nose and mouth. Additionally, masks should be able to block very small particles in the air, transmitted through coughs, medical procedures etc.  The material used for producing these masks must NOT be permeable to droplets and the finished mask should not be loose-fitting.

In relation to the use of cloth face coverings, it is recommended that each mask meet certain requirements to be regarded as somewhat effective; they should be made from breathable materials, be made with multiple layers of fabric/tissue, be water or fluid repellent and should fit firmly around the nose and mouth.

Improper use of Masks

As the wearing of these facial coverings has been established and the face masks are being used by the general public, other problems have been identified. 

First among these problems is the location of the mask on the face of the wearer. In Ghana, people have been seen wearing their masks on their chins, hanging on their necks or covering the mouth and leaving the nose uncovered. All these are wrong ways of wearing masks especially if the intention is to protect yourself and others.  See the correct way of wearing the face masks/ face covering below.

Secondly, people have been seen wearing the masks even while alone in their cars or not in close quarters with other individuals. This is however not necessary unless you are in the car with other people. Experts have reported on when it is necessary to wear face masks and for what duration they should be worn.

Conclusion

As wearing face masks is new to many people, it is something that will take a lot of conscious effort to do and be done right as it may be uncomfortable for many. However, it is important to note that wearing these masks is NOT a proven solution to safeguarding oneself from the virus, as disregarding the rules associated with its use can be just as harmful to the user as not wearing it in the first place. Proper pre-use, use and post-use procedures like frequent washing and correct removal methods, need to be followed and the WHO has information on that here. 

It is still important that the prescribed hand washing and sanitizing protocols be observed to curb the continuous spread of the coronavirus. Additionally, healthcare personnel and individuals, who use these medical masks and cloth face coverings should follow the appropriate use and disposal methods. 

News websites claim the Member of Parliament for Asawase constituency, Muntaka Mubarak, has advocated for the legal age for marriage to be reduced to 16 years

The news reports are false. The Asawase MP did not advocate the legal age for marriage to be reduced to 16 years. 

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A number of local news websites and blogs including mynewsgh.com and Ghana Vibes.com have published and widely shared online articles claiming the Member of Parliament for Asawase constituency in the Ashanti Region, Alhaji Muntaka Mubarak,  advocated the legal age for marriage in Ghana to be reduced to 16 years from the current 18 years. 

The articles claimed that the legislator made the advocacy during the vetting of Supreme Court justice nominee, Professor Henrietta Mensa-Bonsu on May 12 by Parliament’s Appointments Committee. 

“Member of Parliament for Asawase, the Honourable Muhammed Muntaka Mubarak is advocating for a reduction in the age of marriage in Ghana to 16 years from the current 18 years, MyNewsGh.cm reports….The polygamous lawmaker who enjoys a wide following among Muslim communities questioned that considering that “children these days are becoming sexually active early in their lives, is it not more prudent to keep the age of marriage at 18?”–excerpts from mynewsgh’s publication.

Verification

To verify the claim, we contacted Muntaka Mubarak via phone to get clarity on whether he indeed made any such statement.

He said, “I was saying that why do we want to consent to sex at 16 but they can only get married at 18. Why don’t we synchronize them to be at one point… If we think that the only time that children can be able to have sex is at 18, why don’t we put everything to 18 because our culture, whether you are a Christian or Muslim or across this country, I don’t see any single culture that allows premarital sex so I wanted her view on that.”  

We subsequently obtained a video clip of the May 12  vetting proceedings as published on YouTube by Joy News TV and transcribed the section on what ensued between Muntaka Mubarak and the nominee, Professor Mensa-Bonsu on the question regarding the issue of minimum legal age for marriage and age of consent for sex as enshrined in the Children’s Act 1998 (Act 560) section 14(2).

Below is the transcription (2:09:38 – 2:13:03)

Muntaka: I notice that you have done a lot on Reproductive Health. Is that right?… So I want to believe that you are very familiar with the Children’s Act. I have argued, even on the floor of Parliament that the right for a child to have sex at 16 years while the right of a girl or a boy to get married [is] 18, for me was problematic. Having worked all these years in this area, will you agree with me or you think there is some special reason why we think that children at 16, they can consent to sex but for them to get married, they have to be 18. Do you agree or you think there is some special reason why this arrangement is done? 

Mensa-Bonsu: Indeed I agree with you and I have pointed that out in my writings. At the same time, there is a problem of when you raise the age too high and in the situation where you are trying to even fight child marriages and you are not being successful, it will be self-defeating. At the same time, to keep the age low and to keep the age of marriage at 18, does create this gap where, as you say, the child can have sex but cannot marry but maybe that is a consequence that is better for us than making the age of marriage 16 years which would be violating all kinds of international commitments that we have made. So not everything can be neat and tidy, but we live with it. 

Muntaka: This is where I make  reference to your earlier answer to a question where you said when you want to look at your culture in the eyes of some other person’s you may get something else.  Almost all of us, from Binduru to Accra here, from West to the East, almost all the cultures, regardless of religion, frown on premarital sex. Now we have a law that because we want to meet an international obligation, we say that the children can have sex for almost two years before they get married or they can consent to sex before they can get married and I have chaired the health committee and when you talk to a lot of ‘gynaes’ [gynaecologists], they tell you the kind of pregnancies and the challenges that come with all that. Don’t you think that it is time for us to stick to our laws, if we think that the best time for children to be able to do that is 18, let the marriage and consent to sex be synchronized? 

Mensa-Bonsu: Honourable, I would have loved to agree with you but we also have to be realistic. Policing it will be impossible. And you are saying that the girl cannot consent to sex until she is 18 which means any sexual contact will be criminal. That would also have its own repercussions, so as I said, it is not neat and tidy but you don’t want to let 16 years olds marry nor can you police that they should only have sex when they are 18. 

Based on what ensued, it can be concluded that the news report misrepresented the Member of Parliament’s contributions at the vetting by attributing wrong quotes to him. 

From the conversation, the MP rather sought to know the view of the nominee on what the parliamentarian considered as contradictions between the age of consent and the age a girl citizen can get married in Ghana where all cultures frown upon premarital sex. But the nominee, while agreeing partially that the current situation was problematic, posited that the available options equally had their own challenges.