Assessing levels of knowledge, compliance with preventive measures and behavioral adjustments to the ‘new normal’ of COVID-19: Empirical evidence from Ghana

•At the peak of COVID-19 in Ghana, people were more compliant to preventive practices than during less peak periods.•Being comfortable following authority directives was high among Ghanaians and contributed significantly to their compliance to the preventive measures.•People's level of adjusting to new cultures is akin to how they adjust to the new normal of COVID-19.•Acculturation strategies of integration and assimilation significantly influenced compliance and behavioral adjustment to COVID-19 related practices.