Ghanaian actress Priscilla Opoku Agyemang, popularly known as Ahuofe Patri has turned a year older today. Ahuofe Patri is 29 years old today.
She took to her IG page to share some hot photos with her fans to mark this day.
She posted;
25 with 4yrs experience 😉
📸 @ishotonsamsung
Creative direction @iamabrokwa
View this post on Instagram
25 with 4yrs experience 😉 📸 @ishotonsamsung Creative direction @iamabrokwa
Source:Â www.ghgossip
Players in the funeral industry in the Assin North, Assin South and Assin Central Areas have bemoaned low sales since the President’s directive banning all forms of large social gatherings.
They described the low level of sales as unprecedented and a serious drain on their income, affecting their investments and business expansions.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), Mr Johnson Lamptey, a 52-year-old casket maker with over 20 years of experience said: “This is the first time we are experiencing such a massive dip in sale returns.”
Holding his cross-cut saw, and pointing sadly to over 10 caskets that were not collected last week, he prayed that the directive was reversed in no time to enable them stay in business.
Mr. Lamptey who owns “you were once like me” casket designing shop near the Assin Fosu St Francis hospital morgue said his sales had reduced from at least six per week to two.
Mr. Odame, another dealer whose business is at Assin Bereku, the capital of the Assin North district, said his capital was locked up due to low patronage.
Mr. Odame said he normally sold at least five coffins per week with prices ranging from GH¢1,500 to GH¢7,000, but sold only two coffins after the President’s directive.
He complained about how their businesses were grinding to a halt as a result of poor sales coupled with their inability to access wood now selling at exceptionally exorbitant prices as major factors affecting the progress of their businesses.
Madam Ernestine Baidoo, a seamstress and a funeral Decor with over 15 apprentices also lamented about record dip in sales.
“I can’t pay my workers and feed my family of four as a widow, but my prayer is to get more buyers for my beautiful funeral dresses,” she said as she hanged some of her dresses on the nails in her shop.
Madam Ernestina who sold not less than GH¢3,500 of funeral dresses per week had made only GH¢2400 over the period of the President’s directive.
Uncertain about when the President’s directive will be reversed, Madam Ernestina with over 18 years’ experience in the business, said “we always pray for increased sales.
“No matter what, we will all die one day so it is not a sin for us to pray for high sales,” she added.
At Nyakomasi Ahenkro in the Assin South District, some casket makers and dealers in funeral wares complained of piles of uncollected caskets, wreath and wares as owners called to suspend their funerals.
Mr Williams Arhin, a 35-year-old casket maker complained about financial difficulties in taking care of his family.
Also, it was not different at the Assin Fosu Polyclinic and Brofoyedru private morgue, the biggest facility serving the three districts.
Officials spoke with the GNA on condition of anonymity expressed fears about the possibility of not being able to break even if the situation persists for long.
They largely complained about stagnant sales and prayed the government to reduce utility bills with constant supply to enable them to sustain their businesses.
Source: GNA
The Ghana Football Association has confirmed that they will not appeal CAF’s fine for Awal Suleman’s pitch-invasion during AFCON qualifier last year.
A statement from GFA on Wednesday said: The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has fined Ghana an amount of Ten Thousand US Dollars (US$10,000) for the invasion of the field of play by a soccer fan.
This is in relation to the incident that occurred at the latter stages of the Black Stars’ win over South Africa in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers at the Cape Coast Stadium on November 14, 2019.
CAF Disciplinary Board fined Ghana the amount of US$10,000 for the incident after studying the reports from the match officials.
Reacting to the news, the Communications Director of GFA, Henry Asante Twum indicated that the country’s football governing body will not appeal the decision.
“I mentioned that we were expecting more not because I said we were expecting CAF to fine us with an amount that is more than what they decided on.
But sometimes there have been situations where the venue is banned from hosting all CAF competitions but in our case, Cape Coast is still intact, we were even preparing to host Sudan in Cape Coast until the Covid-19 forced CAF to postpone all the games. Venue has not been touched, there hasn’t been any punitive measure on Ghana with as regards what we intend to do going forward.
All CAF said was that we have been fined 10000 dollars for the incidence, so I think it is something that is manageable from the side of the FA I don’t think we will appeal.
We will allow the verdict to run and now what we intend doing is to engage government and see how we will make the payment. ”
Henry Asante further cautioned Ghanaians never to invade pitches as it has huge consequences on the nation.
Source: Primenewsghana.com
Karela United midfielder Emmanuel Keyekeh has denied rumours linking him to Hearts of Oak in the on-going transfer window.
Keyekeh was heavily linked with a deal to the Phobians in the coming weeks to boost their midfield options and also help the young player develop.
However, the highly-rated midfielder has refuted the rumour and has vowed to help Karela United escape relegation after a slow start to the 2019/20 Ghana Premier League.
“I will not move despite the numerous offers from Hearts and Kotoko,” Keyekeh told West End Radio.
“I am a Karela United player and for now my dream is to help the club survive the league.”
Keyekeh has been in fine form for the Aiyinase based club as they lie 17th on the league table with 11 points after 15 matches played thus far.
Meanwhile, the Ghana Football Association has suspended all its competitions with immediate effect until further notice following the directives given by the President of the Republic due to the outbreak of the Coronavirus outbreak.
Source: Footballghana.com
The benchmark index shed 0.54 points (-0.02%) to close at 2,177.87 with a -3.51% year-to-date return following a decline in the price Total Petroleum (-1.67%) while market capitalization stayed at GH¢56.18 billion.
Major sector indices remained flat. The GSE Financial Index recorded no gains or losses, closing at 1,951.05 with a year-to-date return of -3.40% while the SAS Manufacturing Index was at 3,215.74 with a -7.63% year-to-date return for the thirteenth consecutive session.
Trading activity strengthened as 40,291 shares valued at GH¢54,620 changed hands compared to 20,995 shares valued at GH¢17,814 at the previous session. Ecobank Ghana dominated trades by volume, accounting for 40.18% of the total volume traded while Total Petroleum dominated trades by value, accounting for 48.61% of the total value traded.
We expect trading activity to pick up as investors take advantage of bargain stocks.
Source: SAS Ghana
The Otuasekan Rural Bank, at Kofiase, in the Asante Mampong Municipality, has embarked on a campaign programme to sensitize market women on the novel Coronavirus pandemic.
Dr. Prince Stephen Adom-Attakora, Board Chairman of the bank told the Ghana News Agency, that the educational campaign was to support the government in educating the public on preventive measures to prevent the spread of the diseases.
He said the measure was to support government’s directives to control the spread of the disease.
Dr Adom-Attakora pointed out that rural market women and smallholder farmers were the backbone of the bank and so there was the need to educate them adequately to take preventive measures to protect themselves from the virus.
He stressed the need for rural dwellers to be well educated on the disease and the mode of transmission as well as the preventive measures they must adopt to avoid contracting it.
Mr. Eric Ofori, Head of the Microfinance Department of the bank said mobile bankers have been trained to educate the market women on the need to wash their hands and use hand sanitizers frequently.
He said the bank had provided protective clothing to its staff in all branches as well as water, soap and sanitizers for customers to wash their hands after transacting business at the bank.
Source: GNA
Former Asante Kotoko management Member, Ben Nti has cautioned the fans to exercise patience in their bid to get rid of the club’s Executive Chairman,Dr. Kwame Kyei.
The former Administrative Manager is aghast at the incessant vilification directed at the revered business magnate by a section of the club’s supporters.
“Am speaking as a supporter not a former management member. I have always been a supporter, a circle member to a circle PRO then rose to become a regional PRO to a national secretary and then a management member,” he told Kumasi-based Oyerepa FM.
“You have started this same thing you did to Dr KK Sarpong, now if Dr Kwame Kyei should say he’s fed up and leaves,who will take up the running of the club?
“In these trying times where there’s no football. Should Dr Kyei leave who will take care of the pressing Asante Kotoko bills. Let’s not do that.””
“All is not well within the Kotoko hierarchy as Edmund Ackah stepped down as a management member due to insults from Dr. Kwame Kyei owned Light Fm,”said Ben Nti.
Source: Ghanaguardian.com
Aduana Stars have won the race to sign Emmanuel Sarkodie, beating Hearts of Oak and Asante Kotoko to his signature.
Sarkodie is one of the hottest talents on the local terrain after a stunning perfromance for Nkoranza Warriors in the second-tier league, and he has been consistently linked with rivals Hearts and Kotoko.
The attacking midfielder is reported to be in the camp of Aduana Stars as he continues his contract negotiations with the club.
The 23-year-old is expected to finalize the discussions by the end of the week before putting pen to paper next week after passing his mandatory medical test.
He is currently one of the highly-rated midfielders in the second-tier league where he has won eight MVP awards in 13 matches
Source: GHANAsoccernet.com
With the COVID-19 pandemic, we are facing an unprecedented situation on a global level. Entire countries are in lockdown, and people everywhere are being asked to stop or minimize their physical (social) interactions.
Our broadband connections are becoming our lifelines – figuratively and literally: we are using them to get news, connect to our work environments (now all virtual), and for entertainment too.
The wave of special emergency measures continues across countries and continents. Let’s take a look at the first effects of this global pandemic on network traffic. In a way, this may be the “shape of things to come” for all other networks.
We analyzed data from several networks in Western Europe from the week of March 9, 2020. We looked at the traffic volumes and patterns. While we were still in the early days of the new reality introduced with special measures, we were able to spot some network anomalies and trends.
Some countries in Western Europe have declared lockdown measures – Day 1 in our analysis is the day the lockdown was enforced. We also continued looking at the situation over the following weekend after the lockdown was declared – which we refer to as Weekend 1 (or Sunday 1, the Sunday in Weekend 1). To provide a better comparison, we looked at day-to-day (workday and weekend day) comparisons against the previous week.
Social media and messaging
On Day 1 and Sunday 1, we saw a significant increase in popular messaging and social media applications. One of the most popular, WhatsApp, exhibited an increase of 117-217% during Day 1, with apparent spikes in the morning hours on the first day of the school lockdown. We also saw a sixfold (or 500%) traffic increase on Sunday 1. Even with these spikes, the overall WhatsApp traffic (in Gbps) remained manageable in both cases – from the perspective of the total traffic volume in the network.
Netflix
On the online entertainment front, the increase in Netflix traffic showed that people started streaming earlier in the day (morning hours and early afternoon hours). While the evening traffic volumes remained within a +20% range compared to typical values, the overall increase of traffic during the day ranged from 97% (morning) to 27%-42% (early afternoon), significantly contributing to the total network traffic.
A look at the Netflix traffic on the weekend brought much more concerning stats. Volumes rose between 54% and 75% (in peak viewing hours) compared to the previous weekend, with substantial contributions to the overall traffic. Knowing that weekend evenings are the peak traffic hours for most networks, Weekend 1 brought more stress to the network – in relative and absolute terms (terabit range).
Total network traffic
Day 1 brought an increase in the overall traffic of anywhere between 30% (5 p.m.) and 80% (9 a.m.), with boosts between 50% and 70% for most of the day.
The Weekend 1 Sunday traffic rose between 34% and 97% during the day, bringing additional terabit-levels of traffic volumes to the network at times. While “normal” weekends (because of a lot of online streaming and gaming) can be used as a solid baseline and benchmark to check whether there is enough capacity to address these peaks, it seems that Weekend 1 additionally stress-tested the network and in a significant way. The good news is that networks were able to absorb this peak without degrading the quality of service. The bad news is that this may be a new trend. The future will tell.
Final thoughts
What conclusions can we draw from Day 1 and Weekend 1 snapshots? What are the new broadband realities that we may be seeing, locally and globally, in the coming weeks or months?
Here are a few thoughts.
We are witnessing an increase in traffic in both wireless and wireline networks. However, with prolonged times spent at our homes in the lockdown periods, wireline networks will play an increasingly important role.
Service providers need to ensure that their internet infrastructures are up to these new tasks – with enough capacity and ability to deliver all services with high performance under the increased traffic demand.
Service providers need access to real-time and granular information about their networks. They need tools that can help them gain deep insights and correlate and visualize data at speeds and in ways that human brains cannot.
A new generation of big data-driven network intelligence and analytics technology such as Nokia Deepfield [2] can help obtain real-time, very granular (down to application level), accurate, multidimensional details about the network, services, network flows, and usage patterns. (By the way, this is the technology used to analyze all data points used in this article.)
While we will continue to monitor the global and local effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on networks worldwide, it is crucial that we “keep our cool.” The lessons we are learning and the challenges we are facing will forever change the way we work, communicate, and entertain.
Telemedicine, for example, will be one of the areas where these lessons may bring the most profound changes to how health services are accessed and delivered.
A comforting thought is that we are at a safe place, technologically speaking. With the latest technology advances and standards, we have ubiquitous, sophisticated connectivity – from our home networks, across service providers’ and hyperscale realms.
The newest networking technologies are ready to rise to the challenges brought in front of them. However, in addition to continuing 5G and fiber access infrastructure rollouts, we may need even more investment in the networks (wireline, wireless, and converged) to make them better and readier for the future.
That will hopefully be a more normal-looking future, which everyone wants to see again.
Source: mcdsquared.co.za
Minister of Information Kojo Oppong Nkrumah says emotions and fear should not lead the debate as to whether the government should announce a lockdown or not.
There have been calls from several bodies including the Ghana Medical Association to announce a lockdown of the entire country.
Mr Oppong Nkrumah speaking on the Joy Super Morning show today said the decision concerning a lockdown should not be taken out of emotions and panic but rather from the situation the country finds itself in.
“The decision to lock down or not do not have to be taken out of emotion or panic but from country-specific situation. The thousands of the poor who do not have options to store food are the most vulnerable and the President is concerned about that.”
Ghana has now recorded 132 cases of the deadly Covid-19 with 3 deaths and one recovery.
President Akufo-Addo commented on the lockdown debate when he met members of the TUC at the Jubilee House.
He said, a responsible government is required to look at the implications of the decision to lockdown a country in such a time, before it takes a firm decision.
“it is important for us to take into account the circumstances and conditions. When we lockdown Accra, what are the consequences?†he quizzed.
President Akufo-Addo indicated that currently, his administration is looking at all the possible options available before he communicates it to Ghanaians.
“I am hoping that much sooner than later, we will come to an agreement on what those measures are and the Ghanaian people will be informed,†he stressed.
Source:Â primenewsghana.com
Former Asante Kotoko Coach Kjetil Zachariassen says he is ready to work with any Ghana Premier League club except the Porcupine Warriors.
The gaffer is currently unemployed since he was sacked by Kotoko last year.
“Am ready for any club that is ready for my signature but excluding Kotokoâ€, the Norwegian told Light FM.
The coach came out on top in a dispute with the Kumasi-based club regarding unpaid cash and Kotoko have been tasked settle settle him.
The league is currently suspended for four weeks due to the outbreak of the Coronavirus. The clubs have also given its players a break from training and that includes Kotoko.
Source: Footballghana.com
The National Chairman of Ghana Muslim Mission, Dr. Sheihk Amin Bonsu, has admonished Ghanaians to continue to resist any attempt by the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) to impose on us their beliefs.
He said Ghanaians must pray for forgiveness of their sins especially sins that are against the natural order of God.
Dr. Amin Bonsu stated categorically that same-sex practices are abominable in the face of God.
He underscored the need for religious leaders to continue to pray against such practices to prevent the anger of God coming upon us.
He slammed those who argue that same-sex practices are human rights issues.
The Quran he said, speaks against same-sex practices hence religious leaders and Ghanaians in general, should resist these practices.
Dr. Amin Bonsu asked Muslims to continue to pray for Ghana and our leaders to be granted wisdom to roll out measures to deal with the outbreak of the coronavirus.
The national day of fasting and prayer he added was a good initiative by the President.
Source:Â rainbowradioonline.com
Hotel operators in the Western Region have called on the government to consider giving them tax rebates as the spread of the coronavirus pandemic was having a toll on their operations.
Some hotels have started laying off casual workers in a bid to sustain their operations due to a huge drop in patronage with the fear that they may shut down completely if government does not intervene.
According to them, guest visits and hiring of conference halls have reduced drastically whereas some organizations have even cancelled already booked events.
Mr Pradeep Kumar, General Manager of the Best Western Plus Atlantic Hotel who spoke to the Ghana News Agency lamented that with the suspension of all mass tourism related gatherings and the closed down of beaches by the Ghana Tourism Authority, all hoteliers in the region were waiting for an official announcement on the reduction in VAT and the tourism levy.
He pointed out that though the hotel’s operational cost had gone up as they were still paying high utility bills despite the huge decline in patronage, his outfit had not laid off any permanent staff.
However, management thought it wise to cut down some outsourced staff and may consider cutting down certain services with other services providers should the need arise.
Mr. Anthony Kennedy Addiaba, General Manager of the Raybow International Hotel indicated that the hotel has suspended all entertainment Programmes like live bands, conferences and meetings with over 25 members following an order by the Ghana Tourism Board.
“We are looking at the VAT rate being reduced if possible. Is it possible to even adjust the electricity and water tariffs, a look at suspending the payment we make to regulatory bodies including; property rates and similar costs? That’s what we want to know now”, he quizzed.
Source: GNA
The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has met with stakeholders of the Pharmaceutical Industry and assured them of fast tracking the approval for the production of essential drugs, including chloroquine, which are needed for the case management of COVID-19.
The stakeholders, however, gave the assurance that the industry had the capacity to produce the selected drugs and that the current stocks of locally manufactured and imported medicines were adequate to cater for the COVID-19 pandemic for the next three months.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency on Thursday, Mr James Lartey, the Head of Communications Department, said the Authority would, however, not compromise the quality, safety and efficacy of any drug, as seen in the approval for hand sanitisers.
The proposed drugs for treatment for COVID-19 include hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine; and Remdesivir.
Hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine are oral prescription drugs that have been used for treatment of malaria and certain inflammatory conditions.
Chloroquine has also been used for malaria treatment and chemoprophylaxis; while hydroxychloroquine is used for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus and porphyria cutanea tarda.
“Remdesivir is an investigational intravenous drug with broad antiviral activity that inhibits viral replication through the premature termination of RNA transcription and has in-vitro activity against SARS-CoV-2 and in-vitro and in-vivo activity against related beta coronaviruses,†the FDA explained.
“It is necessary to establish the current stocks of essential medicines, both finished products and raw materials, the capacity of the local manufacturers to meet the needs of the country to help the Ministry of Health in planning to avert any shortages and stock outs.
The meeting was also used to solicit support from the industry to fight the pandemic.
Mrs Delese Darko, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), led a team of FDA Officers during the engagement.
The stakeholders included the Chamber of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association of Ghana (PMAG), Pharmaceutical Importers and Wholesalers Association (PIWA), Community Practice Pharmacists Association (CPPA), and Small Scale Pharmaceuticals Manufacturers Association.
Part of the FDA’s function is to advise the Minister of Health on measures for the protection of consumer wellbeing.
The industry players, however, urged the Government to supply the requisite guarantees to enable them to secure financial support from the banks to produce the needed essentials drugs.
It should also consider making provision for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to Community Pharmacists and Over-the-Counter Medicine Sellers who were the first-line of call for most consumers.
source: GNA
Ghanaian defender Mohammed Salisu has emerged as one of LaLiga’s most exciting rising stars according to experts.
The young rare-guard’s solid and composed displays in his debut season suggest a long and highly successful career is ahead of him.
Valladolid’s 20-year-old centre-back has been one of the most impressive defenders at any LaLiga club in 2019/20, getting the better of personal duels with forwards as experienced and talented as Atletico Madrid’s Alvaro Morata, Real Sociedad’s Willian Jose and Real Betis’ Borja Iglesias.
Having only made his LaLiga debut last August, Salisu started 26 of Valladolid’s first 27 games of the season, and is part of a solid defence that has been key to Sergio Fernandez’s team spending most of the campaign well clear of the drop zone.
Born in Accra in 1999, Salisu was signed by Valladolid in October 2017, having been scouted from the “African Talent Football Academy” in his home country.
By the following January, the 17-year-old had broken into the club’s B team in the third tier, impressing enough to become a regular for the remainder of the campaign.
Th 2018/19 campaign saw Salisu begin training on a regular basis with Fernandez’s seniors during the week, while he mixed playing league games for the B side along with Copa del Rey appearances for the first team.
The opening day of the 2019/20 campaign brought a full LaLiga debut, playing a key part as Valladolid got their season off to a flyer with a 2-1 win at Real Betis.
The following weekend’s 1-1 draw at Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu showed that Salisu and his teammates were a match for anyone in LaLiga.
Source: ghanaguardian.com
Mainland China reported its first locally transmitted coronavirus case in three days and 54 new imported cases, as Beijing ordered airlines to sharply cut international flights fearing travellers could reignite the coronavirus outbreak.
The 55 new cases reported on Thursday was down from 67 a day earlier, the National Health Commission said in a statement on Friday. There are now 81,340 confirmed cases in mainland China.
The death toll stands at 3,292 with five new deaths.
Imported coronavirus cases, mostly Chinese nationals returning home, now pose the biggest concern for authorities.
Shanghai reported the most new imported cases with 17, followed by 12 in Guangdong and four each in capital Beijing and nearby Tianjin.
Hubei province, a region of some 60 million people where the virus first appeared late last year, reported zero new cases on Thursday – a day after lifting a lockdown and reopening its borders as the epidemic there eased.
China on Thursday ordered local airlines to maintain only one route to any country and limit flights per such routes to one per week, effective March 29. Foreign airlines have also been ordered to cut routes to China to one and limit flights to one per week, although many had already stopped flying to China.
China will temporarily suspend the entry of foreigners with valid Chinese visas and residence permits starting on March 28, as an interim measure, the Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.
Source:Â France24
Eleven Wonders coach Ignatius Osei-Fosu is advocating for the abrogation of the 2019-20 Ghana Premier League should its coronavirus-induced suspension persist beyond one month.
The top-flight is in the second week of a forced break following a government directive banning on all public gatherings including sporting events as part of measures to curb the spread of the disease.
The pandemic, also known as Covid-19, has so far infected over 510,644 worldwide and claimed 23,028 lives.
“I’m a fan of a proper calendar. If we’re going to have a prolonged suspension, it may be better to abrogate the current season and start afresh to synchronise with all the other leagues in the world to allow proper transitions and transfers,” Osei-Fosu told Goal on Thursday.
“We should not rush the league back because human lives are much more important than our work which is entertainment. Calling off the league will also be a blessing in disguise for me to get a grip on my team. Even if the league is to resume in two weeks time, it’s unlikely we can play games immediately because it will take us another two weeks to prepare to play games.
“At where we are now, it will be very difficult to just regroup and head straight into games. We may even go another month before the suspension is lifted and the more the players stay in the house, the more training we will need to get the players’ physical level back up for matches because you don’t want to risk players for injury. They have their careers on the line. We may be getting to a point where we will need another pre-season. Or else we will have a form of pre-season, play about 17 games and go for another pre-season for the next full season.
“I think what the GFA should do now is to come up with a clear guideline in anticipation of what could happen in each case’s scenario, so clubs will be clear on how to deal with the situation in advance. But for me, I’m for the abrogation of the league if the suspension extends beyond one month.”
It has been a topsy-turvy season for Wonders who currently occupy 12th position, four points above the relegation zone but six points adrift of third-placed Asante Kotoko.
“Looking at the dynamics and our position in relation to our position from the top four, we are at a place where only two matches can push us into the top four. We are one of the teams that have shown our worth and picked a lot of away points. It is easier for me to get into the top four than to get into the relegation zone.
“We next play Hearts of Oak who are only two points above us and Liberty Professionals who are below us. In essence, all the teams below us are also relegation-threatened. So it is not a situation that I’m making that suggestion because we are not doing well.
“When the league went on suspension, we were still training and many people were trooping to watch us which is not safe at this time. So for me, it is about the lives of our players too. It’s about humanity and the safety of all. Not about relegation or not.”
The coach, who was previously in charge of Liberty Professionals, also spoke about their ultimate goal for the season.
“Our objective is to finish among the top four. It is highly possible. When you look at the club on top of the table, Aduana Stars, they are just nine points away from us which could take only three matches to catch up.
“When you look at the points build-up, you will see everything is possible. If we are able to strengthen our team in some positions, we can be among the top four. For us, the top four is the least we want to achieve.”
Ghana has so far recorded 132 cases of the coronavirus involving three deaths.
The West African nation is considering a lockdown, according to President Nana Akufo-Addo, a situation which could ultimately extend the suspension of the Premier League.
Many nations around the world have suspended their national leagues in the fight against Covid-19.
Source: Goal.com
Atletico Madrid midfielder Thomas Partey has offered guidelines that can help people utilise staying in self-isolation during the coronavirus pandemic.
The outbreak has affected the entire world forcing many socio-economic activities to be put on hold until the spread is under control.
The effects of staying indoors for a prolonged period could heighten anxiety and worries, but Partey has been able to share some useful tips on Instagram that can bring out the maximum from everyone.
Despite the pandemic, Partey has been linked with a move from Spain to the likes of Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea or Liverpool.
Atleti are looking to increase his release clause from €50 million to €100 million.
Source: Goal.com
Gradually the coronavirus which has been declared by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a global pandemic is now dictating what we should do currently in an effort not to be infected.
As the saying goes “necessity is the mother of inventionâ€, a young man has invented a new style by which one can use an ATM without catching the deadly coronavirus.
Not risking anything, the young man refused to use his hands to touch the ATM. While many would have used a pair of gloves the guy had none and thus had to operate the machine without touching.
In a video sighted, the guy who wore a t-shirt and cap could be seen punching the keypad with the stick as others stood back in a queue waiting for their turn.
A lady who likely took the video could be heard laughing at the sight of the guy using the stick to operate the machine.
It is not known exactly where the video is from as they were speaking English but the video has gained traction on social media.
Watch the video below:
We are still thinking why the young man opted for a stick rather than a glove.
Ghanaian giants Accra Hearts of Oak have sealed a major signing after capturing Niger international midfielder Abdourahamane Mamane Lawali.
The 23-year-old moves to the former African champions on a free transfer after leaving Sudanese giants and Premier League club Al-Merreikh.
The defensive midfielder signed a two-year contract with the Accra-based giants on Thursday representing a key acquisitions by the Phobians.
“Accra Hearts of Oak is delighted to announce the signing of Niger national team player, Abdourahamane Mamane Lawali,” Accra Hearts of Oak said in a statement on Thursday.
“The defensive midfielder has signed a 2-year contract with us.”
The signing of Lawali is a major demonstration by the Phobians that they want to challenge for the title when the league resumes.
Lawali started his career with Nigerien giants AS Douanes before moving to JS Tahoua where he was snapped up by Al-Merreikh.
He is one of four players to be announced by the club this transfer window.
Source: GHANAsoccernet.com
An overwhelmed Italian city at the heart of the coronavirus pandemic on Thursday sent more of its dead to nearby towns for cremation as the country’s world-leading toll topped 8,000.
Officials in Rome reported 662 new deaths and 6,153 infections — largely in line with the figures reported throughout the week.
The rise in daily deaths edged down to the lowest point in the crisis — 8.8 percent — while the infection rate stood at around eight percent for the fourth day running.
But the numbers are not dropping much further and Italians appear to be coming to terms with the realisation that two weeks of life under lockdown have not made the disease go away.
“Until we see this damn rate drop, we will have to continue making very hard sacrifices,” deputy civil protection service chief Agostino Miozzo said in reference to the ever-tightening containment measures.
Italy’s coronavirus death toll now stands at 8,165 — more than that of second-placed Spain and China, where the virus emerged in December, combined.
‘Crematoriums could not cope’
The endless flood of victims forced the city of Bergamo at Italy’s northern epicentre of the pandemic to send still more bodies to less burdened crematoriums in neighbouring towns.
An AFP photographer saw six camouflage green army trucks transporting coffins out of a Bergamo cemetery on Thursday.
“The large number of victims has meant that Bergamo’s crematorium could not cope on its own,” mayor Giorgio Gori said in a statement released to AFP.
The mayor said the city had also received 113 urns with the ashes of bodies that had been sent out for cremation earlier this week.
The bodies in the city of about 120,000 people are literally piling up.
A warehouse in the commune of Ponte San Pietro on Bergamo’s western outskirts held 35 freshly-made wooden coffins Thursday that were destined for cremation at a later date.
Still more coffins filled a barren church hall in the Seriate commune to Bergamo’s east.
A priest said a quiet prayer over the rows of coffins and a single red rose rested atop one in the otherwise empty room.
Anxious south
Yet the Italian government is just as anxious about the northern crisis spilling over into the far less developed south.
The head of the Campania region that includes Naples warned of a “dramatic explosion” of infections based on this week’s trends.
“The next 10 days will be hell for us,” governor Vincenzo De Luca said in an open letter to Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte.
The number of officially registered deaths in Campania — Italy’s third-most-populous with nearly six million people — rose from 29 on Sunday to 83 on Thursday.
But no southern region has recorded more than 100 coronavirus fatalities to date.
Italy’s latest figures confirm that COVID-19 overwhelmingly kills the elderly and the sick.
Data from Italy’s first 5,542 fatalities show that 98.6 percent of the victims already suffered from at least one ailment or pre-existing condition.
Slightly over half had three or more other health problems when they died.
Only 29.1 percent of the victims were women. The disparity has been observed elsewhere and still puzzles doctors around the world.
The average age of victims was 78 — a fraction lower than the 78.8 reported last week based on the first 3,200 deaths.
But Italian virologist Roberto Burioni said the figures were “not particularly reliable” because the country was primarily testing people who already exhibited flu-like symptoms.
Italy’s death rate among the confirmed COVID-19 cases — 10.1 percent — was thus much higher than in countries with broad-based testing such as South Korea.
Source:Â France24
Republic Bank Ghana, a subsidiary of Republic Financial Holdings Limited (RFHL) has announced an offer of Loan Repayment Deferment for Customers and Staff of the Bank for a maximum period of six months in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Loan Repayment Deferment offer is currently available upon request, a statement from the bank said on Thursday.
“Customers can apply for this offer by contacting their respective Branch/Corporate Managers or Relationship Officers by telephone, email or completing an online deferment offer form available from 27th March, 2020 on the website of the Bank www.republicghana.com In addition, the Bank has also introduced automatic waivers until 30th June, 2020 on the following: ? Excess fees ? Late fees on loan repayments.
According to the Managing Director of the Bank, Mr. Farid Antar, Republic Bank recognizes the economic effect of social distancing which has become necessary to stem the spread of the virus.
“As a Bank with a heart, we recognize that these are critical times for everyone, with an expected high pressure on cash flows for both individuals and businesses. We have therefore taken a bold decision to offer a loan payment deferment option to our Customers and Staff.
“This we believe will cushion their cash flows in order to support them to take all precautionary measures needed to protect their families and themselves from the spread of the virus,†the Managing Director added.
Mr. Antar has also recommended that Customers of the Bank limit the use of the Banking Halls and instead, utilize the digital channels.
He also took the opportunity to urge Staff, Customers and the General Public to take all precautionary measures to protect themselves and families against the coronavirus (Covid-19). A Republic united against coronavirus will prevail.
Source: dailymailgh.com
Turkey confirmed 16 more deaths from the novel coronavirus late on Thursday, bringing the total number of fatalities to 75.
A total of 7,286 coronavirus tests have been conducted on Thursday on people suspected of contracting the virus, and 1,196 tested positive, bringing the tally of infections to 3,629, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said on Twitter.
The minister said that the patients and their contact circles have been isolated.
“I persistently invite you to implement the measures [against coronavirus],” he said.
While most victims of the virus worldwide were among the elderly, health officials fear they may have contracted it from the young carriers who may be asymptomatic.
After first appearing in Wuhan, China, in December, the virus, officially known as COVID-19, has spread to at least 175 countries and regions, according to data compiled by U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University.
The data shows more than 521,000 cases have been reported worldwide, with the death toll over 23,500 and around 122,000 recoveries.
Italy, China, Iran, and Spain continue to be the most affected countries.
Despite the rising number of cases, a vast majority of those infected with the virus suffer mild symptoms and recover.
Source:Â www.aa.com.tr
Netflix, conference calls and online college classes are part of the Obama family’s day-to-day life during their coronavirus self-quarantine, Michelle Obama told Ellen DeGeneres in a televised phone call posted on Twitter.
With their daughters Malia and Sasha home from college, the family is trying to establish a routine, the former first lady said.
“We’re just trying to structure our days,” she said. “Everyone’s here — the girls are back since colleges are online, so they’re off in their respective rooms doing their online classes.
“I think Barack is — I don’t know where he is. He was on the phone on a conference call; I just got finished with a conference call. … We’re just trying to keep a routine going, but we’ve also got a little Netflix and chilling happening.”
Michelle Obama has advice for Americans stuck indoors to help stem the spread of coronavirus.
Obama told DeGeneres some good may come out of the coronavirus crisis, at least on a personal level.
“But on the positive side, I know for us, it’s forced us to continue to sit down with each other, have real conversations, really ask questions and figure out how to keep ourselves occupied without just TV or computers,” she said. “It’s a good exercise in reminding us that we just don’t need a lot of the stuff that we have.”
Source:Â edition.cnn.com
Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has acknowledged the adverse effects of the novel Coronavirus on both local and global economies, saying it will result in low revenue mobilisation, as prices of crude oil slump on the world market.
Dr Bawumia said this when he launched the Universal QR Code and Proxy Pay in Accra on Wednesday.
Besides, the additional funds that must be found to spend on fighting the disease, we’re losing revenues as the prices of crude oil slumps and business activity both external and internal are negatively affected.
“These are truly very challenging times, but I am hopeful that together we shall weather the storm,” the Vice President noted.
The Universal QR Code will make it possible for all merchants, service providers and institutions to receive payments from banks, ezwich accounts, mobile money wallets or internationally issued visa or Master Cards instantly.
The QR Code was developed by the Bank of Ghana (BoG) through the Ghana Inter-bank Payment System (Ghpss), and would be issued to merchants by universal banks, rural banks, savings and loans companies, telecos and Fintechs.
The launch was streamed live on the Vice President’s Facebook Page, in compliance with the President’s social distancing directive to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Vice President said in view of the changing trend of trading worldwide, it was imperative for institutions to be innovative and introduce new products and services to meet the needs of their clients.
The universal QR code is the world’s first interoperable payment acceptance solution and provides customers with an easy option for digital payment on business transactions, which reduces the technological challenges associated with operating cash-lite society.
The universal QR code will allow merchants to receive digital payments without the use of Point of Sale devices and countries that recently introduced the Code platforms include Singapore, India and China.
“Any merchant can have a universal QR Code including; chop bar operators, food vendors, barbers, carpenters or masons musicians, shoe shine boys, khebab sellers, market traders, trotros, taxis, churches, mosques, schools, funeral committees, wedding organizers, basically, any business,” Dr Bawumia explained.
“Once a merchant has a QR Code, the customer can scan the code (for a smart phone) or dial the USSD number to make payment.
“The customer will make have to enter and confirm the amount so no one can cheat you. Once the customer confirms the payment, the merchant will receive the payment instantly and directly into their bank account or mobile money account,” the Vice President said.
Dr Bawumia lauded the Bank of Ghana (BoG) for taking bold steps to encourage electronic payments, including; incentives such as reducing charges and pushing up the limits on mobile money transactions.
He believed these measures would reduce human contacts and provide the needed social distance between customers and merchants in a bid to curb the spread of COVID-19.
“It is therefore important that we do everything we can to expedite the wholesale use of electronic payment channels like mobile money, ezwich, bank accounts, among others, in the payment of goods and services from merchants.” The Vice President said.
Vice President Bawumia acknowledged the efforts of the Central Bank for putting the requisite infrastructure in place over the past three years to provide the nation the vehicle to go cashless.
With regard to the Proxy pay, he said, every bank account would be given a phone number to be a proxy for the Bank Account number for individuals or a chosen Alias for companies.
Therefore, individuals could make payments to one’s bank account through the phone number, similar to mobile money.
Dr Bawumia expressed the conviction that the new payment platform would enhance business transactions in the country, saying; “This will help us move further into the cashless direction because there will be no longer any need for merchants to have point of sales devices, with the QR Code platform, all they need is a mobile phone and even a “yam phone” will work”.
A British charity has teamed up with scientists to see whether dogs could help detect COVID-19 through their keen sense of smell, they said on Friday.
Medical Detection Dogs will work with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and Durham University in northeast England to determine whether canines could help diagnoses.
It follows previous research into dogs’ ability to sniff out malaria and is based on a belief that each disease triggers a distinct odour.
The organisations said they had begun preparations to train dogs in six weeks “to help provide a rapid, non-invasive diagnosis towards the tail end of the epidemic”.
The charity has previously trained dogs to detect diseases such as cancer, Parkinson’s and bacterial infections by sniffing samples taken from patients.
They can also detect subtle changes in skin temperature, potentially making them useful to determining if a person has a fever.
“In principle, we’re sure that dogs could detect COVID-19,” said Claire Guest, founder and chief executive of Medical Detection Dogs.
“We are now looking into how we can safely catch the odour of the virus from patients and present it to the dogs.
“The aim is that dogs will be able to screen anyone, including those who are asymptomatic, and tell us whether they need to be tested.
“This would be fast, effective and non-invasive and make sure the limited NHS (National Health Service) testing resources are only used where they are really needed.”
The head of disease control at the LSHTM said dogs could detect malaria with “extremely high accuracy” and, as other respiratory diseases changed body odour, there was a “very high chance” it could also work with COVID-19.
Detection dogs could be deployed at airports at the end of the epidemic to rapidly identify people carrying the virus, helping prevent the re-emergence of the disease, according to Steve Lindsay from Durham University.
Over 500,000 coronavirus infections have now been recorded across 182 countries, contributing to 22,920 deaths, according to an AFP calculation based on official country data and World Health Organization figures.
The number of actual infections is believed to be higher since many countries are only testing severe cases or patients requiring hospitalisation.
Source:Â France24
Former Asante Kotoko Administrative Manager Ben Nti is surprised at attempts by some fans to hound current Executive Chairman Dr Kwame Kyei out of office.
Nti, who served under the Dr KK Sarpong regime, is unhappy about the criticisms heaped on the business mogul.
He fears those unconstructive remarks about his administration could see the Unity Oil owner step down.
“Am speaking as a supporter not a former management member. I have always been a supporter, a circle member to a circle PRO then rose to become a regional PRO to a national secretary and then a management member,” he told Kumasi-based Oyerepa FM.
“You have started this same thing you did to Dr KK Sarpong, now if Dr Kwame Kyei should say he’s fed up and leaves,who will take up the running of the club?
“In these trying times where there’s no football. Should Dr Kyei leave who will take care of the pressing Asante Kotoko bills. Let’s not do that.”
There seems to be cracks in Dr Kyei’s administration with management member Edmund Ackah announcing quitting the club over attacks on his person by the sports crew of Light FM, a station owned by Dr Kyei.
Source: GHANAsoccernet.com
The Sekyere East Cluster Office of World Vision Ghana (WVG) has donated a number of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to support the fight against CONVID- 19 in the Sekyere East District.
The items included boxes of N95 respirators, goggles, face masks, hand gloves, hand sanitizers, Veronica buckets, detergents as well as information and communication materials on the disease to help create public awareness.
Mr. Francis Gumah, Cluster Manager speaking at the presentation ceremony, said the gesture was to help strengthen the district health directorate to ensure safety of health workers and other front line staff working to control the spread of the disease.
It was also to assure the health workers and all the people in the area, that WVG was with them in the promotion and delivery of quality health care, especially in rural communities.
“This gesture by our outfit is to augment the efforts of the government and the Ghana Health Services in ensuring the protection of health workers themselves as well as the prevention of the transmission of the COVID-19 in the healthcare setting,†Mr Gumah said.
Madam Mary Boatemaa Marfo, District Chief Executive (DCE) for Sekyere East, who received the items on behalf of the health directorate, praised WVG for the timely intervention to support the covid-19 fight.
She said the enormous and continuous support by WVG especially in the areas of health, agriculture and food security, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), child protection among others, had help promoted socio-economic development among the people in the District.
Madam Marfo urged the people to continuously pray for the nation and observe all the preventive measures outlined by the government and the Ministry of Health in order not to contract the virus.
Mr. Justice Ofori Amoah, District Health Director, said the gesture was a great motivation to health workers and other frontline staff in the fight against the spread of the disease.
He assured of the judicious use of the items and said training programme was already underway to equip health workers in the District to properly educate the people on the dangers of the disease and how they could protect themselves from contracting it.
The training would also help them identify symptoms and provide quick response measures to prevent further spread in the country.
Mr. Patrick Adam, Health Project Officer of the WVG Cluster, urged the health workers to always take precaution in the handling of suspected patients to help protect themselves and others who came in contact with them.
Source: GNA
They have been hailed as India’s coronavirus “heroes”, but doctors, nurses, delivery drivers and other frontline workers have been attacked and in some cases evicted from their homes by panicked residents.
Some e-commerce giants have even halted deliveries partly due to the harassment of staff, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi said abuse of hospital workers had become a “huge issue”.
Reports of attacks and abuse have come from across India, increasing with the imposition this week of a 21-day nationwide lockdown. In at least one case, police were accused of beating a delivery driver carrying medicines.
Sanjibani Panigrahi, a doctor in the western city of Surat, described how she was accosted as she returned home from a long day at a hospital that is treating COVID-19 patients.
She said neighbours blocked her at the entrance to her apartment building and threatened “consequences” if she continued to work.
“These are the same people who have happily interacted with me (in the past). Whenever they’ve faced a problem, I’ve helped them out,” the 36-year-old told AFP.
“There is a sense of fear among people. I do understand. But it’s like I suddenly became an untouchable.”
This week, doctors at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences appealed to the government for help after health workers were forced out of their homes by panicked landlords and housing societies.
“Many doctors are stranded on the roads with all their luggage, nowhere to go, across the country,” the letter said.
Modi called on Indians to stop treating medical workers as pariahs, describing those fighting the virus were “god-like”.
“Today they are the people who are saving us from dying, putting their lives in danger.”
Fake news and paranoia
Health workers are not the only ones facing the brunt of the frightened population in an environment where misinformation and rumours are thriving.
Airline and airport staff, who are still being called on for evacuations of Indians stuck overseas and management of key cargo deliveries, have also been threatened.
Airline and airport staff, who are still being called on for evacuations of Indians stuck overseas and manage key cargo deliveries, have also been threatened.
Indigo and Air India have condemned threats made against their staff.
An Air India flight attendant told AFP her neighbours threatened to evict her from her apartment while she was heading to the United States, saying she would “infect everyone”.
“I couldn’t sleep that night,” she said, afraid to reveal her name over fear of further stigmatisation.
“I was scared that even if I did go home, would someone break open the door or call people to kick me out?”
Her husband had to ask the police for help.
Others have not been as lucky, the flight attendant said, with one colleague — who declined to speak to AFP — forced out of her home and now living with her parents.
“With all the fake news and WhatsApp forwards, they don’t know what is going on, so there’s this paranoia that makes them behave like this,” she said.
T. Praveen Keerthi, general secretary of the Indian Commercial Pilots Association (IPCA), told AFP they had received more than 50 complaints from airline crew.
“Airline staffers are being stopped from entering their own residential premises by security guards,” he said.
“We also have families and children that we leave at home to help fellow citizens… The least we expect is for our colleagues to not be harassed and ostracised.”
Airport workers involved in moving essential supplies have also faced attacks as have delivery workers transporting medicines and groceries.
E-commerce giant Flipkart temporarily suspended services this week.
The Walmart-owned group said it only resumed home deliveries after police guaranteed “the safe and smooth passage of our supply chain and delivery executives”.
Source:Â AFP
Singaporeans could be jailed for up to six months if they intentionally stand close to someone else, under tough new rules announced Friday to halt the spread of the coronavirus.
The city-state has introduced a series of new measures to tackle the virus, including closing bars and cinemas as well as banning large events.
One step aimed at ensuring “social-distancing” — a key approach being used worldwide to halt the spread of the contagious disease — is a ban on individuals standing less than one metre (three feet) apart in certain settings.
People are barred from intentionally standing too close to someone else in a queue, or sitting on a seat less than one metre from another individual in a public place, according to the regulations.
Those found guilty of breaking the rules face a jail term of up to six months and a maximum fine of Sg$10,000 (US$7,000).
Business owners are also required to take steps such as putting seats not fixed to the ground at least one metre apart, and making sure that people keep their distance when queueing.
They face the same punishments if found to have broken the rules.
Singapore, known for having a low crime rate and a tough approach to law and order, introduced stricter curbs after a spike in infections being brought in from overseas.
The health ministry said earlier this week that “we must implement tighter safe distancing measures now to minimise activities and exposure”.
The city-state has reported 683 virus infections and two deaths, but has won praise for its approach and has so far avoided going into a total lockdown.
The rapidly spreading pandemic has infected over half a million people worldwide and killed more than 23,000.
Source:Â France24
Referees in the Ghana Premier League are seeking a meeting with the Football Association following unpaid allowances before the league was halted due to the spread of the deadly coronavirus.
The top hierarchy of the referees, the Referees Association of Ghana are desperately looking for possible means to meet the Ghana Football Association despite the shutdown of their offices.
The referees have only received allowances from the only four match days, despite handling games till match day 15.
Each referee receives GHC 780 after tax per game as allowance for handling men’s game with the women receiving GHC 468 per match.
And with the league on break, there is uncertainty as to whether the rest of their allowances will be paid in due time.
The Ghana Premier League has been postponed until further notice to control the spread of the coronavirus which is rapidly rising in the West African nation.
Ghana has now recorded 132 confirmed cases with three deaths and just a single recovery.
Source: GHANAsoccernet.com
China has announced a temporary ban on all foreign visitors, even if they have visas or residence permits.
The country is also limiting Chinese and foreign airlines to one flight per week, and flights must not be more than 75% full.
Although China reported its first locally-transmitted coronavirus case for three days on Friday, almost all its new cases now come from abroad.
There were 55 new cases across China on Thursday – 54 of them from overseas.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry said it was “suspending the entry of foreign nationals” because of the “rapid spread of Covid-19 across the world”.
The suspension applies to people with visas and residence passes, but not to diplomats or those with C visas (usually aircraft crew).
People with “emergency humanitarian needs” or those working in certain fields can apply for exceptions.
Although the rules seem dramatic, many foreign airlines had already stopped flying to China – and a number of cities already had restrictions for arrivals.
Last month, for example, Beijing ordered everyone returning to the city into a 14-day quarantine.
Although the virus emerged in China, it now has fewer cases than the US and fewer deaths than Italy and Spain.
There have been 81,340 confirmed cases in China and 3,292 deaths, the National Health Commission said on Friday.
In total, 565 of those confirmed cases were classed as “imported” – either foreigners coming into China, or returning Chinese nationals.
In Hubei – the province where the outbreak began – there were no new confirmed or suspected cases on Thursday.
The lockdown in provincial capital Wuhan, which began in January, will be eased on 8 April.
Source:Â bbc.com
Kenya has registered its first death from the coronavirus (Covid-19), the health ministry announced on Thursday.
In a statement, Health Minister Mutahi Kagwe said that the victim was a 66-year-old Kenyan man and had a long-term health condition.
“We have received the sad news of the death of first patient who had tested positive for coronavirus,” said Mr Kagwe.
He had arrived into the country from South Africa through Eswatini on March 13.
The patient died at the Aga Khan Hospital intensive care unit in the capital Nairobi on Thursday afternoon.
Kenya has confirmed three more cases of coronavirus, raising the national tally to 31.
Source:Â theeastafrican.co.ke
The Management of Ghana Water Company Limited,(GWCL) has introduced a temporary billing regime to bill customers based on an average of their last three months consumption(Jan-March).
In a statement issued by the Public Relations Officer of the company, Stanley Martey said this has become necessary so as to reduce the frequency of visits by Meter Readers to the premises of customers following the deadly covid-19 pandemic.
Meanwhile, the company has assured it will revert to meter readings by Meter Readers when the situation normalizes.
It further indicated that all anomalies will be rectified in due time, adding “if you have consumed more or less than you have been billed over the period, it will reflect in the meter readings, and subsequently be corrected by the billing system.â€
“Management wishes also to advise customers that, although all offices of the GWCL remain open during this period, customers are encouraged to pay their bills via Mobile Money with all the telecommunication networks,†the statement added.
Source: Kasapafmonline.com
Government, through the Risk Communications and Social Mobilisation Group of the Ghana Health Service, on Thursday organised a sensitisation workshop for political parties to rally them towards fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.
Representatives of political parties present at the meeting included the New Patriotic Party (NPP), National Democratic Congress (NDC), Convention People’s Party (CPP), National Democratic Party (NDP) and Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG).
It formed part of government’s objectives of engaging with faith-based organizations, trade union associations, market queens and education institutions to curb the spread of the virus in the country.
The virus has so far affected 132 people in the country with three deaths, according to the Ghana Health Service portal for updating the public.
The event was organised by the Information Ministry in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service.
Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, in his welcome remarks, said political parties had large followings, therefore, they could play a crucial role in disseminating information to the populace and sometimes offer alternative ideas on how to combat the virus.
“We’re in the midst of a global challenge, with a national dimension, therefore, it’s not time to score a political capital out of the situation.
“We must all rally together to battle this pandemic on a common front,” the Minister advised.
Mr Oppong Nkrumah said health experts would educate members of the political parties on the deadly virus and solicit their ideas and alternative suggestions to end the scourge.
Mr Alexander K.K. Abban, a Deputy Minister of Health, for his part, underscored the need to work in unity to fight a common enemy, devoid of any bickering and mudslinging.
He said the situation is precarious, hence the need for everybody put his shoulders to the wheel to fight the deadly virus.
“We need ideas and those ideas must not be shaped in political partisanship but work together as Ghanaians on a common mission,” the Deputy Minister advised.
Source: GNA
Residents of Afram Plains are frantically searching for hair purported to be hidden in the Bible which has the potency to prevent Coronavirus.
The claim is reported to have been made by a Prophet who said he got the vision during the National Day of Fasting and Prayer.
The widely circulated belief has forced many residents to search for the so-called hair in the Bible to perform spiritual direction according to the Prophet.
“A Prophet called someone in this community yesterday that there is a hair in the Bible so we should search and that anyone who sees it should read the exact scripture where the hair was, then after that put the hair in water then you and your family will drink some and use some to bath for protection against coronavirus disease that has come.
“Some people say they have seen the hair others too have not so those that have seen the hair are sharing the water with friends and families,†a resident of Ekye Amanfrom where the disinformation has gone viral told Kasapa News.
Ghana has recorded 132 confirmed cases of coronavirus including 3 fatalities as of March 26, 2020.
However, many residents in rural communities are ill-informed about the disease due to lack of awareness and therefore continue to depend on the diluted information though majority depend on the media for information on covid-19.
Many rural dwellers in Afram Plains South believe the disease is confined in cities therefore not much perturbed.
The Afram Plains South District Assembly has meanwhile supplied handwashing buckets to fishmongers, traders, taxi drivers, positioned two on the Ferry to encourage frequent handwashing.
Source:Â Kasapafmonline.com
Hearts of Oak General Manager Frederick Moore has told fans of the club to idolize Board Chairman Togbe Afede XIV for his massive investment.
Moore explains that the traditional ruler has pumped millions of cedis into the project with no financial support from the corporate world.
”In the last two (2) years, it’s been really really tough and I think this is the time that everybody who is a Phobian and anybody who believes they support Hearts should doff off their hats to the Board Chairman because for the past two (2) years, he’s basically single-handedly carried the club,” Moore told Kumasi-based Oyerepa FM.
”Anytime we get up as Phobians and we pray to God and we thank God we should also thank God for his life, it’s been great that we have got him and he’s not on the other side. I will never stop saying that.”
Source: GHANAsoccernet.com
Accra Hearts of Oak has started its transfer business with the addition of Nigerian international Abdourahamane Mamane Lawali.
The midfielder has signed a two-year deal with the Phobians for an undisclosed fee.
The club announced on this on their official twitter handle on Thursday: ”Accra Hearts of Oak is delighted to announce the signing of Niger national team player, Abdourahamane Mamane Lawali. The defensive midfielder has signed a 2-year contract with us.”
Abdourahamane Mamane Lawali formerly played for the Sudanese Premier League side Al-Merrikh FC.
📸 | @HeartsOfOakGH is delighted to announce the signing of Niger 🇳🇪 national team player, Abdourahamane Mamane Lawali. The defensive midfielder has signed a 2-year contract with us. #WeclomeMamane
🔴💛🔵#AHOSC pic.twitter.com/4ylESrRYVn— Phobians (@HeartsOfOakGH) March 26, 2020
Source: www.ghanaweb.com
Former Ghana Under-20 and King Faisal midfielder Adu Tutu Skelley has picked Abedi Pele and Stephen Appiah as his best Ghanaian footballers.
The 40-year-old won the CAF Youth African Championship with Ghana in 1999.
Speaking in an interview with Eastern Region-based Tru FM, Adu Tutu extolled Appiah’s leadership qualities and praised Abedi’s incredible talent
“My best player is Abedi Pele though he couldn’t make it to the World Cup’ but I will still choose him and when you come to those who made it to the ‘World Cup’, I will choose Stephen Appiah as my best player because he then was the captain at that time and his inspiration with the motivation.”
“He was passionate and motivated the players, that is why I chose him because there was no division in our time, we were all one as a team, we go and we did all our best.”
“That motivated us to qualify to our maiden World Cup.” He added.
Source: Richmond K Entsie/Contributor
The Sunyani East Municipal Security Council (MISEC)is undertaking rigid enforcement exercise in the Municipality to push residents to comply with the Presidential directives on the COVID-19.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has directed that all public gatherings such as religious activities, conferences, workshops and funerals be suspended for four weeks, a move to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 in the country.
The MISEC at a meeting on Wednesday said it had received information that some churches and drinking bars in the Municipality were defying the Presidential orders.
The Council said it would from Thursday, March 26, intensify monitoring to apprehend and prosecute offenders.
Madam Justina Owusu-Banahene, the Sunyani Municipal Chief Executive, disclosed when she interacted with Managers of radio stations and some selected Journalists at a meeting in Sunyani to rally the support of the media in controlling the spread of the COVID-19 in the Municipality.
She said the MISEC had formed a taskforce made up of personnel from the Police, Military, Fire and Immigration Services, which would go round the Municipality to enforce the ban.
Mad. Owusu-Banahene indicated that the Presidential directive was taken as a measure to protect the general public and in the supreme interest of the nation and therefore advised residents to comply or face the full rigours of the law.
She emphasised the vital role of the media in the fight against the COVID 19 spread, and appealed to practitioners to support the Assembly in that direction.
Dr. Paulina Appiah, the Sunyani Municipal Director of Health, appealed to the media and the general public to desist from stigmatizing and discriminating against people suspected or infected by the COVID-19.
She said public stigma had the potential to spread the COVID-19, because people who showed symptoms would hide and fail to report to health facilities for fear of stigmatization.
Dr. Appiah explained that if a person was self-quarantined, it did not mean that he or she had the disease, until tested and proved positive and called on the media to help educate and dispel the wrong perception the public had about the COVID-19.
She said the Ghana Health Service and the World Health Organisation were the reliable sources of information on the COVID-19, and advised the media to always endeavour to crosscheck their facts from the two organisations.
Mr. Benjamin Kyere, the Sunyani Municipal Director of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) indicated that the COVID-19 was a huge national health burden, and required concerted and decisive efforts to tackle.
He entreated the media to allocate airtime and sensitize their listeners, viewers and readers on the COVID-19 to avert its spread.
“As part of your social responsibility, we are pleading with you to take the lead and champion the advocacy on the COVID-19 to curtail the spread of the disease,†Mr. Kyere added.
Source: GNA
The West Gonja Municipal Assembly in collaboration with the Municipal Health Directorate has begun a campaign to educate residents of the area on the deadly COVID-19 to prevent its spread.
The communities sensitised so far included Larabanga and Busunu where religious leaders and chiefs were educated on the disease.
Hajia Fuseina Sulemana, West Gonja Municipal Director of Health, who spoke during the sensitisation exercise in the two communities, took the leaders through the symptoms and preventive measures of the virus.
She advised them to report any suspected case to the nearest health facility without delay.
Mr Saeed Muhazu Jibril, West Gonja Municipal Chief Executive, advised them to adhere to the President’s directives and also educate their members to avoid the spread of the disease in their areas.
Mr Jibril, earlier, met with stakeholders including religious leaders, traditional rulers and managers of public transport in the area to discuss with them the President’s directives to combat the disease and the need for them to abide by them.
Source: GNA
Mr. Bernard Blay, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Parliamentary candidate for Bia West Constituency of the Western North Region, has donated 20 dual desks to Kwame Tawiah Krom (KTK) D/A Primary School in the Bia West District.
Mr. Blay also donated sports equipment to the Bia West District Education Sports Committee to support the basic school sports.
The items include, footballs, volleyball, javelin poles among others.
He said the donation of the furniture followed an appeal made by the Headmaster of the School, to help address the furniture challenges facing the smooth running of the School, especially for primary one.
According to him, inadequate furniture have been one of the major problems in the District, which had resulted in school pupils sitting on the floor during class periods.
Mr. Blay said the donation was the first batch of furniture to be supplied in his effort to stem the furniture problem in the Bia District and also to improve upon education.
He in this regard urged the pupils to reciprocate the gesture by studying hard to enable them reach the highest level of education.
Mr Blay also used the opportunity to advise his constituents to follow the directives and measures of the government, to protect the public from contracting the coronavirus.
Mr. Gyan Andrews, Headmaster of the School, on behalf of the staff and pupils, expressed his profound gratitude to the aspirant for the timely intervention to solve the furniture challenges facing the School.
Source: GNA
The Management of Crime Check Foundation (CCF), a Prisons NGO, has commended government for the passage of the Narcotics Control Commission Bill into Law.
Mr Ibrahim Oppong Kwarteng, the Executive Director of CCF, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, said the Foundation has been advocating for the passage of the Bill into law for many years.
“I think it is unfortunate because this is purely a health and human rights issue,” he said.
Mr Kwarteng, who is also the Ambassador Extraordinaire of Prisons, said smokers have their human rights and should not be bundled into prison-like criminals.
He said, moreover, there were so many reasons, why some people smoke “we know that many people do not abuse the substance and many people use it for working purposesâ€.
The Executive Director said: “That is why we have been knocking on the doors of government and Parliament for so many years. So at long last, we are happy that the bill has been passed into law”.
He said many children have dropped out of school, because their fathers went to smoke wee and have been put behind bars.
“We think that government or the law should be tackling on the barons, those who have been exporting the drugs for commercial purposes and making lot of money out of it,” Mr Kwarteng added.
He expressed the hope that stakeholders in the justice delivery chain would adhere quickly to the provisions of the law and not take the law into their own hands and continue to imprison people who smoke wee.
“The most important thing is that law is the law and it behoves on stakeholders in the justice delivery chain to religiously adhere to the tenets of the law,” he said.
The law transforms the Narcotics Control Board (NACOB) into a Commission with enhanced powers.
The Commission will have the mandate to control and eliminate trafficking of prohibited narcotic drugs to ensure public safety.
It will also oversee the rehabilitation of people who become addicted to drugs. The bill also ensures that drug abuse will be treated as a public health issue and not only a law enforcement one.
The law additionally, de-criminalises the use of some narcotic substances for health purposes.
He said the Foundation and other civil society organizations through its documentaries has brought to light many people, who are serving outrageous jail terms for a joint of wee.
Source: GNA
Nation Builders Corps (NABco) trainees in the Ashanti Region have indicated their readiness to join hands in the fight against COVID-19.
According to them, it was time all able-bodied men and women took part in the national fight to stop the further spread of the virus in the country.
Mr Dennis Kwakwa, Ashanti Regional NABco Coordinator told the Ghana News Agency in an interview in Kumasi that, some of the trainees have mobilized themselves and ready to offer their services to the nation.
He said they were ready to sacrifice to undertake community sensitization and education on the dangers of the disease, its prevention and control protocols as directed by the government and the Ministry of Health.
Mr Kwakwa said the trainees who were always working in the communities would be very effective in community education and provide the needed support services to front line health workers to help combat the further spread of the disease in communities.
Mr Abubakar Sidique, a trainee, who also spoke to the GNA stressed the need for all to abide by the precautionary measures outlined by the government to stay safe from the virus.
Source: GNA
As part of efforts to prevent the Coronavirus (COVID-19), from entering the prisons, Management of Crime Check Foundation (CCF), a Prisons NGO has presented items worth GH 9000 to Ghana Prisons Service.
The items include 50 boxes of Carbolic soaps, 20 boxes of sanitizers and 20 pieces of Veronica buckets.
This is to promote the washing of hands as directed by the World Health Organization and Ghana Health Service to prevent the spread of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic in the country.
Mr Ibrahim Oppong Kwarteng, the Executive Director of CCF, said the donation is to support the Prisons Service in their fight against the coronavirus and the prevention of the pandemic in the prisons.
He said when prisoners and prison wardens get infected, it trickles down to other citizens, hence the need for government to pay attention to the Prisons.
“The fight against the virus is a collective responsibility,” he said.
Mr Kwarteng, who is also the Ambassador Extraordinaire to Prisons, appealed to other civil society organizations, philanthropist, to come to the aid of the Services, because conditions in the prisons were bad.
“We call on all to join us support the prisons at this crucial time,” the Executive Director said.
He expressed the hope that the donation would go a long away to help Prison officers and inmates to protect themselves against the coronavirus.
He also expressed gratitude to the Foundation’s partners and donors for their continuous support to their activities.
Madam Josephine Fredua-Agyemang, the Deputy Director-General in Charge of Finance and Administration, said the donation was timely to support the prisons.
She said the prison situation was serious of its congestion nature, adding that “We have 46 Prisons complex, over 15,000 inmates and 8,000 officers to man these inmates.”
She said the situation was difficult because the Service does not have adequate resources to manage the situation at hand.
She appealed to the public to come to the aid of the Service by donating issues like infrared thermometers, Vitamin C supplements and other protective items.
The Deputy Director-General commended the donors and partners of CCF for their support.
Source: GNA
The National Service Scheme has directed all National Service personnel to take their mandatory one month paid leave effective Thursday 26 March, till the end of April 2020.
Western Regional Director of the National Service scheme, Mr. Okatakyie Amankwa Afrifa, said the mandatory leave was in compliance with the President’s precautionary measures to curb the spread of the CoVID-19 in the country.
Mr Afrifa said all newly posted nurses who were to start their National Service in April 2020 this year, were also to take the month of April as their terminal leave, explaining that the arrangement replaces the annual terminal leave given to all National Service Personnel under the NSS Act 426, which is the last month of their service period.
He indicated that, service personnel would, therefore, be at the post in the last month of their national service.
Mr. Afrifa explained that with the exception of those working in essential institutions and organizations in the fight against the Coronavirus who are to continue reporting to work, the rest were to take their mandatory leave.
He commended the government for taking such a bold decision, which he noted would help stem the spread of COVID 19.
Source: GNA
His tragic death came just days after he tested positive for the dreaded virus, with the Somalia football federation taking time to pay an impassioned tribute to the 59-year-old.
“Somalia lost football legend Abdulkadir Mohamed Farah to Coronavirus. The legend died at a hospital in London where he was admitted last week,”Somalia FA said in a tweet.
“The SFF sends condolence to his family, relatives and the entire Somali football family,” the federation added.
Goal.com reports, until his death, Mohamed Farah was acting as an advisor to the ministry of youth and sports in Somalia.
Born in Beledweyne on February 15, 1961, in Hiiraan province, Farah began his football career while still in school before turning pro.
He went on to represent Batroolka FC in the Horn of Africa region.
Farah becomes the first African footballer to succumb to coronavirus currently ravaging the world.
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that Patrick Mboma, former Cameroon international, said his uncle Achille Essome Moukouri lost his life while battling the rampaging coronavirus in the early hours of Monday, March 23.
The 49-year-old is now a consultant at French sports TV channel Canal+ Afrique.
According to Patrick Mboma, the sad news was sent to him by his mother.
“Awful news! A call from my mother this morning to tell me that I just lost my uncle Achille Essome Moukouri at 5:00 am Thank you #Covid -19,” Mboma tweeted.
The African footballer of the year 2000 is currently trapped in France as the scourge continues to cripple all forms of activities across Europe.
Patrick Mboma further wrote to his followers that coronavirus is real and everyone should take precautions.
Somalia lost football legend Abdulkadir Mohamed Farah to Coronavirus. The legend died at a hospital in London where he was admitted last week. The SFF sends condolence to his family, relatives and the entire Somali football family.
— Somali FA (@SomaliFA) March 24, 2020
source: yen.com.gh
The Tema Police has arrested a 35-year-old woman from Swedru for allegedly defrauding unsuspecting people of various sums of money under the pretext of
Gifty Osei, who claimed to be a financial consultant and the chief executive officer of Royal Ancient Root Venture, was arrested at the Tema Melcom shop while going about her tricky stock in trade.
Speaking to the Ghanaian Times after the arrest the Community 1 District Police Commander, Chief Superintendent Stephen Kwakye, said the suspect who had managed to swindle over 30 people was picked up upon a tip-off.
Police impounded a bag she was carrying at the time of her arrest which was loaded with counterfeit 100 dollar bundles.
Supt. Kwakye said the suspect who also paraded herself as a returnee from the United Kingdom has been detained and would be put before the court after investigations were completed.
Source:Â ghanaiantimes.com.gh
Residents of Tamvaar in the Wa West District have decried the lack of classrooms for the Tamvaar Roman Catholic Junior High School (JHS), which have compelled the school children to study under sheds.
The pupils are usually combined into the Roman Catholic Church auditorium in the community during raining seasons for teaching and learning, while others still sit under the sheds
Madam Yaayi Beser, a resident of the community located in the Upper West Region told the Ghana News Agency that any time it rained the children had to stop classes and run home.
“We do not have classrooms for the school; the children sit under sheds, so when it is raining they have to run to the house. You will see them wet, they can even fall sick. It is not helping us, our children are suffering,†she said.
Madam Tenma Gema, another resident, said the situation discouraged some teachers from coming to teach in the school, which had also compounded the academic challenges the children were facing.
“Now there is development everywhere we want our children to sit in classrooms and learn. As the children sit under the sheds, anything can happen, snakes can attack them,†she added.
Thus, the residents appealed to the government and benevolent organisations and individuals to come to their aid by providing the school with classroom blocks to help improve academic performance.
Meanwhile, Mr Yussif Gizuure, the Assembly Member for the Baleofiili Electoral Area, indicated that access to quality education in the area was a challenge as some of the schools lacked adequate infrastructure while others lacked adequate teachers.
He said aside the lack of classroom blocks and teachers in some schools, the deplorable state of the roads in the area also impeded academic activities, especially in the raining season as some schools were cut-off from other communities they serve.
The situation also affected the education of girls in the community as some of the girls are unable to cope with the challenging situation, he added.
“In this community, you see a lot of girls starting school at the primary level , but when they are getting to the JHS, some of them stop. They say it is better they go and marry,†he said.
“My own sister was a victim, but she has now gone back to school.†However, he said he would liaise with the Wa West District Assembly to seek help in order to meet some of the challenges in the education sector in the Electoral Area.
Source:Â GNA
Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, has observed that the common enemy Ghanaians are fighting at the moment is the deadly Coronavirus (COVID-19).
“We are clear in our minds that this is a national battle; the common enemy we are fighting is COVID-19 and not even amongst ourselves or interest groups that may exist,†he stated.
The Minister made this known in his opening remarks at a sensitization workshop organized by government for political parties on covid-19.
He expressed the belief that it is important to have all stakeholders together to focus on the common enemy.
He pointed out the crucial role of political parties in mobilizing people and educating them.
He bemoaned that Ghana was in a midst of a national challenge that it was dealing with.
According to him, the covid-19 is a global challenge which has a Ghanaian dynamic.
One of the key pillars of global pandemics like covid-19 is risk communications and social mobilization, he said.
Parties
The parties attending the workshop are NPP, NDC, CPP, NDP and LPG.
Source:Â dailyguidenetwork.com