ABSTRACT As the world awaits a cure or a vaccine for the deadly Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), prevention etiquette of social distancing is being championed as a mechanism of reducing the rate of infections. This prevention etiquette (social distancing), however, has become an unattainable goal for the majority of slum dwellers and the homeless in Ghana, owing to the absence of standardized housing conditions and basic services that support such a practice. This article sheds light on some strategic actions that must be adopted by government and other groups (Non-Governmental Organisations and Civil Society Organizations inclusive) towards making COVID-19 prevention etiquette of social distancing a reality for the homeless and slum dwellers in Ghana. Among other things, the paper recommends that instant moratorium should be placed on evictions of slum dwellers during the span of the pandemic since their displacement would predispose the evicted to the vulnerability of COVID-19 infection. Additionally, basic human needs such as water and sanitation should be provided for the slum dwellers while dilapidated classrooms and community centres are used to house the homeless and decongest the slums and provide for social distancing.

中文翻译：

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使加纳无家可归者和贫民窟居民的 COVID-19 预防社交距离礼仪成为现实：可供考虑的教训

摘要随着世界等待致命的冠状病毒病 (COVID-19) 的治愈或疫​​苗，人们提倡保持社交距离的预防礼节作为降低感染率的一种机制。然而，由于缺乏支持这种做法的标准化住房条件和基本服务，这种预防礼仪（社交距离）已成为加纳大多数贫民窟居民和无家可归者无法实现的目标。本文阐明了政府和其他团体（包括非政府组织和民间社会组织）必须采取的一些战略行动，以使加纳的无家可归者和贫民窟居民的 COVID-19 预防社交距离礼仪成为现实。除其他事项外，该文件建议在大流行期间应立即暂停驱逐贫民窟居民，因为他们的流离失所会使被驱逐者容易感染 COVID-19。此外，应为贫民窟居民提供基本的人类需求，例如水和卫生设施，而破旧的教室和社区中心则用于收容无家可归者、疏散贫民窟并保持社交距离。