Author: Chris Kodo

Health Minister Kwaku Agyemang Manu has said the number of coronavirus cases in Ghana has risen from 27 to 52.

He made this disclosure at a presser in Accra, Tuesday.

“Out of the 185 test results received, we have 25 of those quarantined tested positive. If you add on to the earlier number of 27, it means we have 52 tested positive in our country at the moment.

“Those in quarantine, we have actually deployed psychologists to have chats with them. We are also in the process of handing them over to our case management teams we have set up. We have started taking them to isolated centres for case management,” the minister said.

Out of the 52 confirmed cases, two persons have died.

On March 18, 2020, information minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah announced that health experts had told government officials that the next two weeks will be critical in Ghana’s fight against the deadly coronavirus pandemic.

Speaking to journalists, Mr. Oppong Nkrumah said” the health experts tell us that the next two weeks are going to be critical in determining whether or not we are going to get significant community spread. They tell us that the general theory pandemic management is that often it is likely the numbers go up a bit before it curves or the situation gets better.

“Therefore, they are bracing for the possibility of some limited recordings of more cases in the medium term but they continue to assure us that the systems they are putting together and continue to ramp-up are such that we will be able to contain it and hold this virus in check.”

Oppong Nkrumah affirmed the government’s commitment in ensuring the safety of every citizen by ensuring that all the measures put in place to stop the spread of the virus are adhered to.

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

The Office of the Auditor-General has suspended the collection of the Assets and Liabilities Declaration Forms in a bid to curb the spread of coronavirus.

The Office said its regrets any inconvenience the suspension would cause to its stakeholders and officeholders.

A statement signed and issued by Ama Awotwe-Bosumafi, Assistant Director of the Public Relations Unit, said it would resume the procedure as soon as the situation is normalised.

“We advise all public office holders in the interim to ensure that all forms in their possession are completed in accordance with Article 286 of the 1992 Constitution and the Public Office Holders Declaration of Assets and Disqualification Act 1998, (Act 550),” it said.

It added that the Service shall announce to the public in due course when the completed forms can be submitted and those yet to pick their forms can do so.

It entreated the public to contact the following numbers for further enquiries: 0302664920/0244956768/0243317182.

Source: pulse.com.gh

The Ghana National Education Campaign Coalition (GNECC) has asked the government to fast track the roll-out of distance learning programmes to assist students who are home due to the coronavirus outbreak.

The group also asked the government to use the various media outlets to roll out the learning process.

In a statement, Joseph Atsu Hoamdzi, the Interim Chairman, of GNECC said: “We urge the government to fast track the roll out of distance learning programmes on various media platforms to engage the children while at home.

“We recommend the use of television and radio which have an extensive reach so that no child is left out of the learning process.”

The statement added: “We also want the government to intensify public education on the various interventions being introduced to address the fallouts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The government should make sure the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) is well-resourced to engage in excessive education on the pandemic nationwide”.

Source: classfmonline.com

The Public Services Commission has directed all public institutions to prioritise the health of public workers by providing flexible working hours as part of measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

In a memo, the Commission directed public service organisations to prepare their business continuity plan in accordance with the policy of flexible working hours.

The Commission suggested measures such as shifts, rotations and annual leaves for public workers to reduce the number of workers reporting to the office.

It also said national service personnel and interns could be granted their leave to stay at home.

This forms part of efforts to obey directives by the President regarding social distancing and other measures to combat COVID-19.

Ghana has recorded 27 cases of COVID-19 with two deaths.

The government has, thus, banned all social gatherings including funerals, church and mosque services, festivals among others.

Source: classfmonline.com

A coconut seller has become the toast of social media users after mounting a handwashing stand near his selling point in a bid to help fight Coronavirus.

Among the many pieces of advice from health professionals, the most important one has got to do with personal hygiene, particularly the washing of hands with soap and alcohol-based sanitizers.

In his bid to help stop the spread of the disease, the coconut seller who is said to be based in Cape Coast decided to mount a handwashing stand for his customers.

A photo sighted by YEN.com.gh shows the handwashing stand made with a veronica bucket and liquid soap standing right beside the seller’s joint which is located near the Atta Mills Library.

According to Vishnu Quojo Dadzie Coleman who shared the photo on Facebook, this coconut seller mounted a handwashing basin where customers are directed to wash their hands with soap and running water before they enjoy their coconut.

After sharing the photo in a Facebook group called Tell It All, many in the group showered praises on the coconut seller for doing the right thing.

Meanwhile, Ghana has closed all of its borders to human traffic effective Sunday, March 22, 2020.

The closure was announced by President Nana Akufo-Addo in a public broadcast on Saturday, March 21, 2020, According to Akufo-Addo, the move is to help reduce the importation of Coronavirus into the country.

Source: Yen.com.gh

The Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research (KCCR) is running of Personal protective equipment (PPEs) in the wake of coronavirus in Ghana, a researcher with the facility has said.

The Centre is one of the only two facilities with the capacity to test coronavirus cases in Ghana. Over 70 suspected cases of the virus have been tested at the facility

Speaking to Francis Abban on the Morning Starr Tuesday, a Research Scientist at the centre Dr. Augustina Sylverken said they have informed the Ashanti regional health directorate about the impending shortage of the PPEs.

“Our stock is depleting quick and we have already informed the region about it,” she said.

On calls for a lock down of the country to avoid the spread of the virus, she said such a move should be based on scientific evidence and on accounts cases confirmed.

Meanwhile, the Trades Union Congress (TUC) has blamed government for the seeming spread of coronavirus in Ghana.

According to the head of research of the TUC, Dr. Kwabena Nyarko Otoo, Ghana could have avoided some of the cases of covid-19 if government had taken the decision to shut the borders early.

Source: starrfm.com.gh

The Military High Command has debunked a social media report that some serving soldiers have been infected with the novel Coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

A statement signed by Colonel E. AggreyQuashie, the Director of Public Relations, Ghana Armed Forces, and copied to the Ghana News Agency, on Monday, said: “The attention of High Command was drawn to a false publication circulating on social media that alleged that some serving soldiers have contracted the Coronavirus.

“We wish to inform the public that the story is false and should be disregarded”.

It also cautioned those individuals involved in the publishing of fake news to desist from the practice.

“At this sensitisation time in our national life, the collective effort of all and sundry should be aimed at sensitising the public on preventive measures against COVID-19, and not the spread of false information,” it advised.

Source: GNA

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak in Ghana created empty streets in Accra on Monday.

A visit by the Ghana News Agency on Monday afternoon to most principal streets within Ghana’s national capital, Accra showed empty streets across the city.

The normally busy traffic route of the Independence Avenue was almost empty with few vehicles on it.

Likewise the Ring Road East, Ring Road Central and Ring Road West were all traffic free.

Furthermore, in other areas of the city, traffic was also fast moving.

Mr Kofigah Quarshie, an Accra-Aflao bound commercial driver, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, said the COVID-19 outbreak has slowed down their business; stating that passengers were difficult to be found.

Madam Lilly Kumah, a passenger, said she was happy that there was no traffic in Accra.

She, however, said she was praying that God would eradicate the COVID-19 from the earth.

Mr Daniel Ofori, a plantain chips vendor at the National Theatre Traffic Light, said as result of the free flow of traffic due to the COVID-19 scare, they were not getting passengers to buy their goods on the street.

He explained that it was usually when the traffic in the city was heavy that they (the vendors) make money.

Source: GNA

The disinfection exercise carried out in 137 markets in the Greater Accra Region, as part of efforts by the Government to contain the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak in the country was generally successful.

Madam Matilda Tettey, Public Relations Officer, Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (MLRD), said the exercise, which was carried out on Monday by the Ministry in collaboration with the various metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs) in the Region was in line with the Presidential directive to enhance conditions of hygiene in the markets as a means of containing and preventing the spread of COVID-19 in the country.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency in Accra at the end of the one day exercise, Madam Tettey said, across the Greater Accra Region, the disinfection teams received maximum cooperation from the market women.

She lauded the market women, the security forces and the media for the support provided during the exercise, adding that all markets across the Region would be re-opened for business on Tuesday, March 24.

Madam Tettey advised the market women to make good use of the Veronica buckets, which have been positioned in the markets; liquid soaps and other equipment provided by the Ministry to wash their hands as part of efforts to prevent the spread of the COVID-19.

She urged them to also use hand sanitizers to help prevent the spread of the disease.

Madam Tettey said regular handwashing with soap was a good hygienic practice, which would go a long way to prevent other contagious diseases like typhoid and cholera; also urged Ghanaians to make handwashing with soap a constant habit.

Source: GNA

The Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) has ordered all beaches in the country to close down with immediate effect.

This is to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 disease of which Ghana had so far recorded 24 confirmed cases with one death.

A statement signed by the Chief Executive Officer, Mr Akwasi Agyemang, copied to the Ghana News Agency (GNA), said the decision was a precautionary measure taken to avoid public gathering.

It warned that, “The GTA with support of the National Security and Ghana Police Service will begin patrols of the beaches from Tuesday, March 24, to ensure compliance with the directive”.

The statement further advised the public and tourist facility operators to be mindful of the precautionary measure since it was in their own interest.

Source: GNA

World Vision Ghana (WV) has called on government to accelerate efforts to ensure that all Ghanaians have access to potable water.

A statement issued Mr Washington Nuworkpor, the Communications Manager of the WV Ghana and copied to the Ghana News Agency, said many women and children still travel long distances in search of non-existent clean water.

It said many schools and healthcare facilities lack sustainable access to clean water and dignified sanitation and the situation tends to have negative implications for maternal and child health, learning, nutritional outcomes, productivity and the general well-being of children and their families.

The statement appealed to government to prioritise and increase investments towards universal access to safe water.

“It is quite problematic that while access to basic drinking water in Greater Accra is 98 per cent, it is only 50 per cent in Northern Region; and the Upper East, Upper West, Western and Eastern regions are below the national average in terms of access to safe water,” it said.

Making reference to various studies, it said, the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey conducted between 2017 and 2018 revealed that close to eight in every ten households had faecal contamination in drinking water, while close to half of all water sources were affected.

It said there is the need for state and agencies to fully implement the National Drinking Water Quality Framework (NDWQF) to ensure health and safety of people.

“We are concerned that the current levels of investment in safe water does not match the ever-increasing demand, and if current trends continue, we may not address the shortfall anytime soon, the statement said.

“It is worrying that at a time Ghanaians needed water the most to practice appropriate handwashing as a means to combat the spread of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic, there are widespread water shortages across the country resulting in acute rationing”.

The statement on the occasion of World Water Day 2020, called on the state to institute measures to ameliorate the adverse effects of climate change and the wanton pollution of water bodies on sustainable access to safe drinking water.

The statement urged the public to make judicious use of water, ensure strict self-discipline, adhere to prescribed social distancing and practice enhanced hygiene as a preventive measure to contain the disease.

Source: GNA

The Sekondi Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly has constituted a committee to ensure surveillance and strict adherence to all directives issued by the President on Sunday evening.

The Committee would work to ensure that all church activities conducted in classrooms were suspended, ensure the closure of some old public places of convenience and washrooms, fumigation of markets and the provision of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) at the various Sub-Metros.

Mr. Anthony K. K. Sam, the Metropolitan Chief Executive, said the Assembly had therefore suspended the issuance of permit for large gathering such as funerals, weddings, Party rallies among others.

“In this period, normal church and mosques activities and street preaching have also been suspended”.

Mr. Sam added that all the 181 public and private schools in the Metropolis have been closed.

Meanwhile, the Assembly as an exemplary step, has provided personal hygiene materials at the two main gates of the facility for the use of visitors.

The Assembly has also provided canopies as holding areas for visitors to wait in turn for their services while such PPEs would be made available at the various lorry terminals in the Metropolis.

Mr Sam said that the Assembly had enough PPEs to handle the situation.

The MCE encouraged parents to take proper care of their children in this trying times to avoid their exposure to the virus.

“We are prepared to go the extra mile to work around the clock in this trying times,” Mr. Sam added.

In the meantime, Dr. Tachie-Menson, the Metropolitan Health Director, said the three main hospitals in the Metropolis have put in place preparedness measures in case of any emergency.

He said, “Like the President said, we are not in ordinary times and all of us must be wary of this and protect ourselves”.

Mrs. Elizabeth Akouko, the Metropolitan Director of Education, pleaded with parents to keep the children indoors, “engage them, prepare food for them, give them home-works, so that they may enjoy their stay.

“Let us not assume anything…help and guide them to stay indoors, God will indeed help us but we must be wise,” she added.

Source: GNA

The Ghana Red Cross Society (GRCS) in collaboration with the Swiss Red Cross has reiterated the need for Ghanaians to maintain safety precautions in order to help combat the outbreak of the coronavirus.

Frequent washing of hands with soap under running water, use of hand sanitizers, avoid touching the eyes, nose and mouth and maintaining a reasonable distance between individuals are some basic protective measures being advocated by the GRCS.

Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Bolgatanga, Mr Paul Wooma, the Upper East Regional Manager of GRCS, said adhering to advice from experts in these extraordinary times was one major way to prevent the virus from escalating.

He said as part of efforts to combat the pandemic, the International Federation of the Red Cross and Swiss Red Cross were working closely to support GRCS to organise media campaign on the virus.

The GRCS as a humanitarian institution would work closely with the government to ensure that the virus was contained in Ghana, he added.

He said the National Disaster Management Unit of the Red Cross was organizing meetings to sensitize stakeholders in the various regions on effective measures that had to be taken to control the spread of the virus.

Mr Wooma said at the Regional level, they had re-activated volunteer groups in the various districts to do community sensitization to ensure that individuals were rightly informed on how to protect themselves.

The Regional Manager said GRCS had erected a handwashing facility in front of their office to cater for persons and institutions that may not have access to those facilities.

Mr Wooma commended government for taking measures to bring the situation under control and urged citizens to comply with the directives.

Source: GNA

Several drinking bars in the Nmlitsakpo electoral area, Kpone-Katamanso Municipality of the Greater Accra Region, struggled to cope with patrons on Sunday, when churches shut down.

Churches and mosques had shut down to observe the presidential directive against large gathering, measures to curb the spread of COVID-19.

The GNA further observed that, there were no preventive measures in place at the various bars such as hand washing basins, soaps, sanitizers as well as social distancing as they hugged, cuddled and danced to loud music.

Meanwhile, The Ghana News Agency (GNA) can confirm that, the churches, on the other hand, observed the directives given by the President Nana Ado Danquah Akuffo-Addo to close down churches as part of measures to help prevent further spread of the coronavirus disease

Some of the Churches the GNA visited in the Nmlitsakpo electoral area included; The Christ Apostolic Church International,(CACI), the Church of Pentecost(C.O.P) Assemblies of God Church, Action Chapel, The Greener Pasture Full Gospel Church, Christ Redemption Church, Beauty of Zion church, Royal House Chapel among other churches.

The GNA again observed that some of the churches had smaller cell meetings as they ensured there was a reasonable distance between members.

Pastor James Teye Nartey, Saki Circuit head pastor of the Christ Apostolic Church International, told the GNA that, the best way to overcome the spread was to adhere to the Preventive measures put in place.

He added that God could heal the land again if Christians would summit to the creator.

Source: GNA

The President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa has announced a lockdown of the country.

Cases of coronavirus keeps going high and reacting to the increased cases, Cyril Ramaphosa has taken a extreme measure.

The country will undergo 21 days of lockdown from Thursday 26 March 2020, the 2nd country to do that after Rwanda.

With 402 confirmed cases of coronavirus already everyone in the country is expected to stay indoors with the 21 days of the lockdown.

The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has revealed that the Chinese national who tested positive for the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Kumasi last week initially resisted being tested.

He is a 27-year-old Chinese national who travelled outside Ghana and returned recently.

He is among the 24 confirmed cases in Ghana which has already been announced by the Ghana Health Service (GHS) with one death.

He fell ill and residents in the Chirapatre area where he lived upon seeing the symptoms suspected him and reported to the health officials to intervene since he was refusing to go to the hospital.

But when the health officials approached him in his home, he resisted medical assistance and refused to be tested.

He is said to have also refused to comply with the protocols in handling suspected cases of the Coronavirus disease.

It took the intervention of the Ashanti Regional Security Council (REGSEC) with armed security personnel including police and military to forcibly take him to the hospital.

Even after that, he is said to have refused to comply with the protocols in transporting patients to the hospital and the armed security personnel had to step in to forcibly remove him from his home to the hospital where he tested positive for the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and is currently being treated, under-armed guard.

This was made known by the Ashanti Regional Directorate of the GHS at a press briefing in Kumasi on Monday, March 23, 2020.

The Ashanti Regional Director of Health Services, Dr Emmanuel Tinkorang who revealed this said: “sometimes there is the need to break confidentiality using the Chirapatre issue as a test case.”

“Infact, this is a person [Chinese national] who had been sick at home and everybody realised that from the signs and symptoms, and from the travel history, this may be one of the conditions. So we [health officials] were alerted and our team went there and then, we realised that, that is the situation but he was still refusing, but we can’t put the public in any danger and for that reason, we had to call REGSEC [and] the security agencies to support us to convey him to the hospital and truly when we tested, he was positive. So you know that in situations like this, though human rights and other confidentiality issues are very important, but public health is also the key, so if you are not conforming to the public health principles, we have to apply all force,” Dr Tinkorang said.

The move by the Chinese national has thrown the Atonsu and Chirapatre area in Kumasi to some sort of fears especially with people who may have unknowingly come into contact.

The Chinese national is actually in charge of a production company in the area.

Dr Tinkorang in allaying the fears of the public said contact tracing in the Chirapatre case had been done.

“As at now, the patient involved is on admission at one of our hospitals and we’ve isolated that person. All the contacts have been identified and we are monitoring them. Those who are staying around and you are not contacts, you don’t have to fear. We are saying that the contacts are close contacts so for instance, if you are staying next door and you’ve not come into contact with that person, you are not a contact. The next house is not a contact, if your name is not on the contact list then it means that you’ve not been identified as a contact.

Source: Graphic.com.gh