Parliament is in the process of moving to the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC) to allow adequate space to prevent the spread of COVID-19 among members of the House.

It will also create adequate spacing to allow members of the House to continue to deliberate on parliamentary business, especially some urgent Bills, pending before the House to be considered.

The Speaker of Parliament, Professor Aaron Mike Oquaye, who disclosed this to the House on Monday (March 23, 2020), said the move will enable Parliament to heed to the global protocol of social distancing in the wake of the outbreak. 

He, therefore, advised members of the House that henceforth one seat should be left in between members of the House.

“We must sit in a way whereby it will be healthy for us and also will be showing a good example to our country men on the importance of social distancing because of our stature as members of this country.

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“May be this things will make people realise that Parliament is really in need of a more spacious place to do the business that we are mandated to do.

“So in the future, all these will be considered appropriately,” he said, and advised the members of the House to leave one seat unoccupied in between them hence to stop the spread of the deadly respiratory illness, COVID-19.

He told the House that the decision to relocate to the AICC was based on a suggestion by the Majority Leader, Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu sometime back.

“As the Majority Leader suggested the other day, we are in the process of making all relevant arrangements if we can relocate temporarily to the conference centre…and carry on. Maybe this would make people realise that Parliament is in need of a more spacious place,” he stated.

Parliament is due to rise in the first week of April 2020.