A 24-year-old mechanic apprentice was confirmed dead in a motorbike accident that occurred at Akyempim in the Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipality.
The body of the deceased had since been deposited at the Tarkwa Municipal hospital morgue for autopsy.
An investigator at the Motor Transport and Traffic Department (MTTD) in Tarkwa, Chief Inspector George Kwabena Osei who disclosed this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) said that at about 2200 hours, Nana Hayford, now deceased, was riding Haojin motorbike with registration number M-20-WT 286 from Takoradi towards Aboso in the Prestea Huni-Valley constituency.
Chief Inspector Osei said on reaching a section of the road at Akyempim, the deceased ran into a stationary earth-moving equipment belonging to Asabea Engineering construction Limited.
He stated that the deceased sustained severe head injury and was conveyed to the Tarkwa Municipal hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival.
The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), is urging the public to patronize only hand sanitizers approved by the Authority.
In view of this, the FDA has presented a list of registered sanitizers to prevent the public from patronizing unregistered and substandard ones.
The approved hand sanitizers include AFRICAHAND SANITIZER (Ethanol 70%), 2BD HAND SANITIZER (Ethanol 80%), 360 GERMI KLEAN HAND SANITIZER (70% Isopropyl Alcohol), 360 NATURALS HAND SANITIZER GEL (70% Isopropyl Alcohol) and AABL HAND SANITIZER GEL (Ethanol 70%).
This was contained in a statement signed by the Chief Executive Officer of the FDA, Mrs Delese Darko.
According to the statement, the move is to promote the use of effective hand sanitizers and help fight against the spread of the Coronavirus in Ghana.
The FDA states that it is a criminal offence to offer for sale unregistered or substandard hand sanitizers to consumers.
Attached below is the full list of the FDA approved hand sanitizers.
A Deputy Health Minister-designate, Dr. Bernard Okoe-Boye, has stated that he will welcome the use of herbal medicine to treat Coronavirus patients if proven to be scientifically safe and efficacious.
He said scientists want to stick to evidence and once a “concoction†is proven to be efficacious and safe for human consumption the appropriate bodies will grant the approval for use.
He was responding to questions during his vetting on Wednesday.
For him, the issue has been the science of the herbal medicine, and that he had received calls from people proposing various herbal remedies to fight the virus.
“When I ask them for samples, some say it is through prayer and a special dispensation,†Dr. Okoe Boye recalled.
“Fortunately, or unfortunately, scientists want to stick to evidence and once your concoction is proven to be safe for use in human beings and also has efficacy, the appropriate bodies will grant the approval, †he stated.
Jacobus Capitein was a Dutch Christian minister of Ghanaian birth who was one of the first known sub-Saharan Africans to study at a European university and one of the first Africans to be ordained as a minister in the Dutch Reformed Church. He is credited with spreading the use of the written word in his native Ghana. Though a former slave, Capitein wrote a dissertation defending the right of Christians to keep slaves.
As one of the first known sub-Saharan Africans to study at a European university, the freed slave Jacobus Capitein became a celebrity in Holland for his academic and religious achievements and later returned to his homeland to evangelize the indigenous population.
Capitein was born on the Gold Coast but his exact place and date of birth are unknown. According to his own account, he was kidnapped from his parents at the age of seven or eight and sold to Dutch sea-captain named Arnold Steenhard who gave him as a present to his friend the merchant Jacob van Gogh. Capitein lived with his master for two years in the Dutch Fort of Elmina in Ghana before leaving with him for Holland in 1728.
With his entry into The Netherlands, Jacobus Capitein won his freedom since slavery at that time was officially banned. He moved with his guardian to The Hague where he learned Dutch and after one year was able to attend the catechism class of the local Reformed Church where he was later baptized. Very early in his education he announced his desire to become a missionary in Africa.
Jacobus Capitein 1742
Being an excellent student, Capitein obtained the support of Van Gogh and other guardians to pay for his higher education and finally begin his studies in theology at the University of Leiden in 1737.
For the next four years, Capitein pursued his studies, expanding his knowledge in Latin, Greek and Hebrew and becoming one of the best students of his faculty. His dissertation on slavery and Christian liberty (as not being opposed to each other) was presented in 1742 and gained him widespread attention and appreciation among theologians and slave traders.
Having finished his studies, Jacobus Capitein soon became the first black minister of the Reformed Church and in the same year boarded a ship to return to Africa.
Immediately after his arrival in Elmina in October 1742, Capitein took up his missionary work. He tried to revive a religious school for mulatto children that had been started by the Dutch and translated religious texts into Fanti.
But his work was hampered by setbacks and personal defeats stemming from the lack of support by the West Indian Trading Company and his church Classis in Holland. Embittered and in debt, Jacobus Capitein died on 1st February 1747, aged about 30.
The Tamale Central Hospital, located at Tishigu, in the Tamale Metropolis, has temporarily laid off 143 casual workers as a result of the impacts of the coronavirus (COVOD-19) pandemic.
The affected staff included cleaners, records attendants and wards assistants.
The decision by the management of the hospital to dispense off the services of the casual workers followed the inability of the hospital to mobilise enough revenue to pay their salaries as a results of decrease in out patients department (OPD) attendants at the facility since the outbreak of the COVID-19.
The Medical Superintendent of the hospital, Dr Mahamadu Mbiniwaya who confirmed this in an interview with the Graphic Online said the casual workers who have been laid off temporarily were paid from the internally generated fund (IGF), adding that the IGF has dwindled since the COVID-19 outbreak.
He said since the outbreak of the COVID-19, many people have stopped coming to the facility over fears that they may contract the virus, hence affecting their IGF generation, resulting in the hospital’s decision to lay off the casual staff temporarily.
Dr Mbiniwaya, however, gave an assurance that when things normalised, those laid off will be re-engaged.
The Kaneshie Police has arrested a 22-year-old man, Osman Amadu, for spraying a substance into the eyes of a police woman enforcing the lockdown restrictions.
The incident happened last Friday, April 10, at about 9am at Abossey Okai Zongo junction.
According to a police statement, the police woman who was on a COVID-19 duty stopped a taxi with the suspect on board.
The statement said when the suspect was questioned about his movement, he got furious “and without any provocation, sprayed a liquid substance which was in a small plastic bottle into the eyes of the police woman.â€
It said the officer shouted for help and her colleagues together with other witnesses came to her aid and arrested Osman who was sent to the Kaneshie Police station for investigations.
According to the statement, upon arrival at the police station, Osman admitted the offence, saying “he did not know what came over him.â€
The statement added that he has since been processed for court on the counts of assault on a public officer and violation of the Restriction of Imposition Act.
Former President John Dramani Mahama has appealed to the government to employ strategies that will enable telecommunication service providers to reduce their rates during the restriction period.
He urged the government to consider voice and Internet services as an essential commodity and ensure that it was provided at a cheaper rate to consumers who had been forced to stay at home as part of measures to stop the spread of COVID-19.
That, he said, would be relief to lot of people who had resorted to the Internet to conduct businesses and the many workers who were working from home.
He said the gesture would also help to reduce the cost burden on students who are studying via the Internet due to the closure of schools.
Support package
The former President made the intervention when he announced a support package for 20,000 households within the partial lockdown areas in Accra, Kumasi and Kasoa at his office in Accra yesterday.
The package included food items and other household items needed for survival during this period when most business activities have come to a standstill.
The items would be distributed through the various traditional councils in the affected areas, faith-based organisations and organisations working with people with disabilities.
GIFEC/NITA
Throwing more light on the packages that the government could offer the telecommunications firms, Mr Mahama said the government could offer a free six-month extension of licences of telecommunications whose licences were about to expire so that the value could be applied to cushion consumers during the three-month period.
“Additionally, the Telcos can also be compensated with funds from the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communication (GIFEC), which already has the mandate to ensure universal access to telecommunication,†he added.
Mr Mahama also asked the National Information Technology Agency (NITA) to leverage its robust broadband infrastructure 4G cell sites and optic fibre cables, to meet the increased demand for wireless and fixed broadband during the COVID-19 times.
“The removal of the 50 per cent increase in the Communication Service Tax (CST) will provide further relief for the many who are having to work or stay at home at this time.
Parochial considerations
Mr Mahama said the packages would be distributed to households without any parochial considerations.
He said the COVID-19 pandemic had exposed the inequalities in the society with thousands of people struggling to survive.
He said many bread winners were in dire need due to either a shut down of their work places or had been asked by their employers to stay at home.
Mr Mahama said there should not be any public gatherings or large crowds at palaces for the items but be delivered to the beneficiaries in their homes.
He said to avoid confusion in the distribution of relief items, the government must also adopt this method and involve the traditional authorities in such distributions to ensure fairness.
The Accra Central Police station was forced to convert one of its offices into a quarantine centre to hold two persons for about one week, while they waited for the results of their coronavirus disease (COVID-19) status after they were arrested for defying the restriction on movement.
The two foreigners, who were suspected to have come into Ghana through unapproved routes, were arrested on board a taxi at a police checkpoint mounted in front of the Ghana Cocoa Board office, in Accra.
The test report released by the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR) after six days, confirmed that the two tested positive.
The police, after knowing the COVID-19 status of the two persons, had to wait for two more days before the patients were picked up by a medical team from the Ga East Municipal Hospital.
Arrest
The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Accra Regional Police Command, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Mrs Effia Tenge, who confirmed the incident to the Daily Graphic, explained that the station had to set up the temporary quarantine centre because the police did not want to mix new suspects arrested with people already in custody, as a measure to avoid the spread of the virus.
She said on April 5, the police arrested the two Nigeriens and the driver of a taxi during their routine check of vehicles and their occupants under the COVID-19 operation.
The two persons, who had their luggage in the vehicle, she said, had discrepancies in their accounts to the police and because of a language barrier they later had to speak through an interpreter as one of them could speak the Hausa language.
She said the police personnel called the COVID-19 Management Team, who advised that they should be taken to the Greater Accra Regional Hospital for their samples to be taken, after which they were brought back to the Central Police Station where they were held in one of the offices.
The test results were ready last Saturday, paving the way for the Ga East Municipal Hospital, the national COVID-19 treatment centre, to come for them for treatment.
A statement issued on April 14, 2020 by the Ghana Police Public Affairs Directorate said the two had refused to submit to treatment at the centre, making their management difficult and therefore had to be returned to the police facility as a matter of necessity, to enable health officials to manage them.
It said measures had been put in place to ensure no police personnel came into contact with the two while government officials liaised with the Ambassador of Niger on the management of the two Nigerien nationals.
The Executive Director of RISE Ghana, a non-governmental organisation, Mr Awal Ahmed, has called on the media to increase its reportage and advocacy on Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) issues.
He explained that it was also necessary for the media to produce stories “using the human rights angle†as well as highlighting individuals and institutions that are promoting best practices in the management of SGBV issues with the hope of addressing such issues in the home and in communities.
Mr Ahmed made the call when he facilitated a day’s training workshop at Bolgatanga on SGBV reporting and advocacy, organised by RISE Ghana with funding from Oxfam Ghana and the Women in Law and Development in Africa (WILDAF) through the European Union.
Ten participants from both the electronic and print media attended the workshop.
They discussed issues such as SGBV policies, gender-based violence terminologies, why gender-based violence issues are under reported and how they are reported, ensuring privacy in gender-based violence reporting and issues to consider before publishing gender-based violence stories.
The workshop was under a three-year project dubbed “Enough,†which is aimed at taking positive action to end SGBV in Ghana.
Mr Ahmed further observed that “naming and shaming perpetrators of SGBV was also key in addressing SGBV in communitiesâ€.
The director intimated that the media also had a major role to play in ensuring that survivors of SGBV were well informed about where and how they could seek redress and get justice.
Project and activities
In her presentation, the Project Manager, Ms Jaw-Haratu Amadu, said the goal of the Enough project was to create an enabling environment for girls and women to know, claim and exercise their rights to end SGBV in Ghana, Mali and Liberia.
She stated that the media would be empowered while clubs would also be formed in the Pusiga District and Kassena Nankana Municipality to promote increased reportage and advocacy on SGBV.
Peer review workshops, she noted, would also be organised for members of the Upper East Regional House of Chiefs on what they were doing to end SGBV in their respective communities.
Trend
According to Ms Amadu, statistics from the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service (GPS) indicated that reported rape cases increased from 236 in 2016 to 311 in 2017 across the country.
Defilement cases, she said, also increased from 722 in 2016 to 793 in 2017 while cases of assault increased from 4,190 in 2016 to 5,019 in 2017 nationwide.
She added that many of the 5.5 million adolescents in Ghana did not get urgently needed sexual reproductive health services and information.
Highly rated foam manufacturer, Latex Foam, has donated one thousand pieces of medical mattresses to the Ministry of Health to support the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
The gesture, according to the General Manager of Latex Foam, Mr Salim G. Nahlous, was in response to the national call to individuals and corporate entities to support the government’s fight against the global health crisis, which has put a lot of strain on the country’s medical facilities because of its spread across the country.
Presenting the items on behalf of his company, Mr Nahlous said the 1,000 mattresses covered the current needs of the ministry, but noted also that Latex Foam was always ready to assist further because of the implications of the pandemic on the country’s healthcare system and society at large.
Receiving the items, the Minister of Health, Mr Kwaku Agyemang Manu, thanked Latex Foam for their immense support and said the mattresses were very essential in the healthcare delivery in view of the critical nature of the management of COVID-19 which has become a shared responsibly of all.
Latex Foam, recently granted Superbrand status for the second time in seven years, has been associated with good corporate social responsibility in many areas of national development, such as donation to support the annual National Farmers’ Day celebration, support for needy and brilliant students of the University of Ghana, among others.
The Ghana Education Service (GES) and Zoomlion Ghana Limited have rolled out an exercise to disinfect and fumigate all senior high, special and technical schools across the country as part of measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
In all, a total of 1,130 schools will benefit from the exercise which is expected to be carried out within the next three weeks.
The exercise is expected to inactivate organisms and kill pests in 722 public senior high schools (SHSs) and technical schools; 380 private SHSs and 28 special schools.
Dormitories and classrooms
Speaking at the launch of the exercise in Accra today (April 14), the Director-General of the GES, Prof. Kwasi Opoku Amankwa, explained that the fumigation would be carried out in the dormitories and classrooms of all the second cycle institutions to ensure that those premises were safe before students returned to school.
He said 546 boarding and 176 day schools would be disinfected under the exercise and indicated that Zoomlion had been engaged to undertake the exercise because two years ago some agencies were engaged to undertake a similar exercise but the bedbugs resurfaced shortly afterwards.
“After that we decided to work with the best outfit that will use the best chemicals and the recent disinfection of the markets showed that Zoomlion had the capacity to take up that roleâ€.
“We also asked them to use a specific chemical and if they engage the services of third parties, they will have to use the same chemical,” he said.
Prof. Opoku Amankwa announced that Zoomlion Ghana Limited, as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR), had decided to fumigate and disinfect the 380 private SHSs for free.
Support children at home
The Minister of Education, Dr Mathew Opoku Prempeh, who was present at the launch of the initiative, said closing schools across the country as a measure to stop the spread of the coronavirus, as directed by President Akufo Addo, had affected both public and private schools “and our way of life”.
He advised parents to support their children with their studies while they were at home and added that social distancing and staying at home were key to the fight against the spread of the COVID-19. He, therefore, urged all stakeholders in the education sector to adhere to the protocols.
The minister reiterated the need for universities to deploy robust digital systems to reach their students who had to stay at home because of the coronavirus pandemic.
He also called for the disinfection of places of work and worship to prevent the spread of the virus which had affected many people and claimed lives in many parts of the world and in Ghana.
Dr Opoku Prempeh commended all frontline workers who had risked their lives to enhance the fight against the disease.
The media, he said, would have to play a frontal role by using the various channels to communicate to enhance coordination of messages to help get the public educated and sensitised to the precautionary measures they could take to keep themselves safe.
Four Ghanaian garment manufacturing companies in Accra are set to commence the production of personal protective equipment (PPEs) as the government pursues an aggressive policy to meet the demand for protective gears for the health sector.
It comes at a time PPEs supplies across the world are in peak demand with countries jealously guarding their stock.
The Minister for Trade and Industry, Alan Kyerematen, on Saturday, paid a working visit to the four Ghanaian garment manufacturing companies in Accra.
The government selected the companies to produce PPEs for frontline health workers leading the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.
The local garment companies selected to spearhead this project are Dignity DTRT, Sleek Garments, Cadling Fashions and Alfie Designs Limited.
A team from the Ministry of Trade and Industry, and the Ministry of Health, accompanied Mr Kyerematen on his visit.
Of every 10 cases of coronavirus detected in Ghana, seven were contracted locally, the Ghana Health Service (GHS) has revealed.
Local infections include cases involving people who had tested positive for the virus but have not travelled outside the country in the last two weeks when the contagion was detected.
This group of persons form 70% (445) of the total confirmed cases of 636 reported at 4:00 pm on Tuesday, April 14, on the official COVID-19 website of the GHS.
The rest 30% (191) are people who have travelled outside the country to various destinations.
Of the total cases, 17 have been treated, reverted to negative on repeat tests and discharged.
The majority of those infected with the disease are males comprising 378 while females make up 258.
About 605 have been categorised as having “mild disease†and are on treatment; two are classified as moderate-to-severe cases, with no one in critical state condition, and eight have perished.
According to GHS, 268 of the 636 cases were reported from routine surveillance, 253 from enhanced surveillance activities and 115 from travellers under mandatory quarantine in both Accra and Tamale.
Greater Accra leads the pack of regions with 509 cases. Ashanti Region follows in second place with a wide gap recording 53 cases. The Eastern region is third with 41 cases, and the Northern Region is fourth with 10 cases.
Volta Region comes in fifth with nine cases with Upper West Region taking the sixth position, registering seven cases.
The Upper East is at eight with four cases, as the North East, Western and Central Regional have all recorded one case each.
Western, Bono, Ahafo, Savannah, Bono East and Oti are yet to record any cases officially.
The Kenya National Nurses Association has demanded that protective equipment for health workers dealing with coronavirus patients is fixed before it is distributed.
The Kenya National Nurses Association Chair Alfred Obengo visited a factory where protective gear is being made and tweeted that he saw “some gaps” that he ordered be rectified by Friday.
Kenyan nurses have been asking for more pay and protective gear for those handling coronavirus patients.
Some county governors promised special allowances for the health workers.
Personal protective equipment for people working within 2m (6ft) of a coronavirus patient has become a concern for health workers all over the world who are demanding eye protection, surgical masks, aprons and gloves.
Today morning, I was part of the delegation from MOH to assess the quality of PPEs from EPZ.
However we observed some gaps which we ordered be rectified before Friday. We’re committed ensure our frontline warriors have the right regalia and artillery. https://t.co/JwvWUa4Udn
Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni has extended the nationwide coronavirus controls for 21 days.
In his address to the nation at the end of an initial 14-day lockdown, the president said that all control guidelines previously announced will remain in place.
The measures include closure of national borders, including Entebbe International Airport, to passenger travel, a dusk-to-dawn curfew, and a ban on public transport.
Mr Museveni said that the extension will help health workers study the situation, and monitor about 18,000 people said to have come into the country between 7-22 March.
Air and road cargo transport are still permitted.
Inter-state long-distance truck drivers, whether transiting through or destined for Uganda, will be tested at the border points.
So far, over 5,600 samples have been tested and 54 cases confirmed in the country, eight of whom have recovered.
The president of Guinea, Alpha Conde, is making the wearing of face masks compulsory in a bid to curb the spread of Covid-19.
In a televised address, he said the order would take effect from Saturday.
People who fail to wear masks will be fined around $3 (£2.40).
Mr Conde called on businesses, government departments and others to provide their employees with masks, which he said should be made locally and cost no more than 25 cents.
He described the pace of the spread of coronavirus as worrying.
There have been more than 300 confirmed cases in Guinea.
The Ga East Municipal Hospital has refused treatment for two Nigerians who tested positive for Coronavirus.
According to the hospital, the foreign nationals failed to cooperate with authorities for treatment.
The two, however, have been secluded in a police facility as a “matter of necessityâ€, a press release from the police read.
A press release stated that “The two Nigeriens who tested positive to COVID-19 and were transferred from a Police holding facility of the Accra District Police to the National Treatment Centre have been returned to the Police facility as a matter of necessity, to enable health officials to manage them. The two refused to submit to treatment at the national treatment centre, making their management difficult, thus their return.â€
The said Nigerians were arrested on April 5, 2020 after they could not give justifiable reasons for their movement following the lockdown directive by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
According to Citi News, further investigations by police triggered a medical test on them at the Ridge Hospital whose result came back on April 13, 2020.
The Ghana Police Service said its officers will not have any form of contacts with the two Nigeriens as the medical team of the police service is making the efforts “safeguard Police Officers and our facility.â€
The public is reminded to continue to cooperate with the Police and Security Services to help curb the spread of the COVID-19. Stay home and stay safe, as we keep the frontline,†the police added.
The police revealed government is in talks with the Nigerian Ambassador in Ghana on how best to deal with the situation.
Also, government is unclear whether repatriation will be an immediate solution.
Former President John Dramani Mahama has said the mode of distribution of food to poor Ghanaians in the locked-down areas is worrying.
He said overcrowding at the various food distribution centres defeats the purpose of the social distancing protocol which is key in preventing the spread of coronavirus which has killed eight out of the six hundred and sixty-three cases confirmed so far.
Mr Mahama said this on Tuesday when he distributed food items to over 20,000 households in Accra.
He told the press: “Yesterday [Monday], I received a mail from a young teacher in Adentan, who lamented that she is suffering and starving because her school has closed down and her employers have still not paid them for the months of February and Marchâ€.
“In many such cases, we had tried to lend support, as far as our means would allow. This is why I have welcomed the utilisation of the Stabilisation Fund to alleviate some of the unintended consequences of the lockdown occasioned by this pandemic.
“This includes the distribution of food to deprived communities.
“Reports from the field are a worry, both in terms of the quality of the hot meals served and the mode of the distribution of the food.
“The overcrowding and general scramble that characterise this exercise defeats the protocol of social distancing and can help accelerate the spread of the virus.â€
Government continues to put stringent measures in place to help curb the incidence of fake news spread in the country, especially at a time when Ghanaians are at their wits end concerning the fast-spreading Coronavirus pandemic.
At a press briefing on Tuesday, Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah did not mince words when he cautioned agents of fake news; politicians and civilians alike, on the need to refrain from such deeds.
He reiterated that the phenomenon is an offense and thus culprits caught will be made to face the law accordingly.
“Fake News Is Punishable Under Ghanaian Law Section 76, Electronic Communications Act, 2008 (Act 775):
(1) A person who by means of electronic communications service, knowingly sends a communication which is false or misleading and likely to prejudice the efficiency of life-saving service or to endanger the safety of any person, … commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine of not more than [thirty-six thousand Ghana Cedis] or to a term of imprisonment of not more than five years or both,†he noted
He also stated that “(2) A person is taken to know that a communication is false or misleading if that person did not take reasonable steps to find out whether the communication was false, misleading, reckless or fraudulent.â€
Kojo Oppong Nkrumah charged individuals who seek information on the updates of COVID-19 to verify from the Ghana Health Service website in order to be sure before they spread any news.
“In these challenging times, please consider this law before you forward fake news on Whatsapp, IG, Facebook, etc. You may be held personally liable for forwarding that message. Your service provider may easily escape the net without blame,†he added.
The European Union has donated €50m ($55m; £44m) to Nigeria to boost the fight against coronavirus.
According to a statement from the Nigerian presidency, the funding will greatly help Nigeria in containing the virus and revitalising its healthcare system.
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari told an EU delegation he was touched and grateful that the EU had the foresight to help its allies around the world despite the fact that its member countries were also struggling with the coronavirus pandemic.
He said such support from the EU will save millions of lives in many countries.
EU Ambassador to Nigeria Ketil Karlsen told Mr Buhari the donation to Nigeria was the largest support the EU was providing anywhere outside Europe to fight the pandemic so far.
Nigeria has nearly 350 confirmed cases of the coronavirus with 10 fatalities.
Experts have warned that a widespread outbreak of the virus in African countries with weak healthcare systems and extreme poverty could have devastating consequences.
The EU support to Nigeria comes as the International Monetary Fund approved debt service relief for 19 African countries.
The relief is for an initial period of six months to enable them to channel financial resources towards dealing with the coronavirus pandemic.
On Friday, Dr. Mangala Narasimhan received an urgent call. A man in his 40s with Coronavirus was in a dire situation, and her colleague wanted her to come the intensive care unit at Long Island Jewish Hospital to see if he needed to be put on life support.
Before I come over there, Narasimhan told the other doctor, try turning the patient over onto his stomach and see if that helps.
Narasimhan didn’t need to go the ICU. The flip worked.
Doctors are finding that placing the sickest coronavirus patients on their stomachs — called prone positioning – helps increase the amount of oxygen that’s getting to their lungs.
“We’re saving lives with this, one hundred percent,” said Narasimhan, the regional director for critical care at Northwell Health, which owns 23 hospitals in New York. “It’s such a simple thing to do, and we’ve seen remarkable improvement. We can see it for every single patient.”
“Once you see it work, you want to do it more, and you see it work almost immediately,” added Dr. Kathryn Hibbert, director of the medical ICU at Massachusetts General Hospital.
‘We’re opening up parts of the lung’
Patients with coronavirus often die of ARDS, or acute respiratory distress syndrome. The same syndrome also kills patients who have influenza, pneumonia and other diseases.
Seven years ago, French doctors published an article in the New England Journal of Medicine showing that patients with ARDS who were on ventilators had a lower chance of dying if they were placed on their stomachs in the hospital.
Ever since, to varying degrees, doctors in the United States have been placing ventilated ARDS patients on their stomachs.
Now they’ve doubled down on this with coronavirus patients, and it’s paying off. When the patient at Long Island Jewish was placed on his stomach, his oxygen saturation rate, a measure of oxygen in the blood, went from 85% to 98%, a huge jump.
The ventilated patients typically stay on their stomachs for about 16 hours a day, going on their backs for the rest of the time so doctors have better access to their front side and can more easily give them the treatments they need.
Critical care specialists say being on the belly seems help because it allows oxygen to more easily get to the lungs. While on the back, the weight of the body in effect squishes some sections of the lungs.
“By putting them on their stomachs, we’re opening up parts of the lung that weren’t open before,” Hibbert said.
Choosing belly or back
There is a downside to placing ventilated coronavirus patients on their stomachs.
Ventilated patients require more sedation when they’re on their stomachs, which could mean a longer stay in the ICU. At Mass General, about a third of coronavirus patients on ventilators get placed on their stomachs, usually the ones who are sickest and have the most to gain from being in that position.
Some hospitals are also placing coronavirus patients who are not in the intensive care unit on their stomachs.
At Mass General, a “proning team” of nurses visits patients outside the ICU to encourage them to turn onto their stomachs. Since it might be uncomfortable for a non-sedated patient to spend 16 hours on their stomachs, the nurses try to get them to spend at least four hours on the stomachs, split into two sessions.
“Most are willing to give it a try,” Hibbert said. “How long they stay in that position really varies from person to person, whether they’re comfortable falling asleep in that position, or if they get bored and want to turn over to their backs.”
The 2013 French study looked only at patients who were on ventilators, so it’s not entirely clear what effecting the stomach position has for patients who are not as severely ill.
At Rush University Medical Center, they’re studying whether the stomach position is helpful for patients who are not so sick that they need a ventilator to breathe for them, but sick enough that they need supplemental oxygen delivered through a tube in their nose.
In their clinical trial, patients are being randomly assigned to be on their stomachs or backs, according to David Vines, chair of the cardiopulmonary sciences department at Rush.
“We’ll see if proning helps, and if so, how long should they be in the prone position,” Vines said.
Former President John Dramani Mahama has called on government to set up more testing centres to reduce the waiting period for test results of Coronavirus.
According to him, the new cases being discovered shows that the country is entering a new phase which marks the beginning of a horizontal spread of the disease.
John Mahama thus stated that the new numbers require the need for government to redouble efforts in the battle against the pandemic.
“More testing centres need to be set up in order to shorten the waiting time for results. This is important so that the appropriate models of the expected trajectory the disease will travel can be developed in order to guide any decisions on easing the restriction of movements of people.â€
The former president made the call during a donation of relief items to 20, 000 households adversely affected by the lockdown directive in Accra Tuesday afternoon.
Currently, Ghana has only two testing centres; the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research and the Kumasi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) where all the over 1000 suspected cases have been sent to for testing of the deadly virus.
Also, the Ghana Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists (GAMLs) has advised the government to resource other teaching centres to test suspected cases for coronavirus in the country rather than focusing on the two specialized centres.
According to the Association, the two centres which are the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research and the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research might not be able to contain other cases of the latest pandemic if it spreads rapidly in the country.
”All attention is on Noguchi and KCCI but what if we have thousand, two thousand cases coming out, do these people have the capacity to handle all these cases? All the teaching hospitals do specialized testing, we are talking about the use of higher technology to do this. We want to question the government why the attention is on only two testing centres. As a professional body, we want to advise that this is too risky and we are technical people, they must take this counsel seriously before we are hit because this may not be the only outbreak others may come”. President of the Association, Dr Ignatius A.N. Awinibuno said in an interview on Unique FM.
The Volta River Authority (VRA) has cautioned the general public to be wary of fraudulent persons seeking to recruit on behalf of the Authority.
“It has come to the attention of the management of VRA that an unscrupulous person posing as the Head of Laboratory Unit at the VRA Hospital at Akosombo is issuing fake letters to unsuspecting potential employment seekers, purporting to be appointing them into roles at the VRA Hospitals,†the Authority said in a statement.
VRA in the statement indicated that it had not “requested any such person to undertake any recruitment exercise.â€
It said the said individual is defrauding “unsuspecting job seekers and the general public by this act.â€
“The VRA has a recruitment process and at no stage in the process is the payment of any sort required from the candidate. We, therefore, caution the public to be wary of information from such fraudulent persons and further advise that under no circumstance should they part with money for appointment into VRA because that is not part of our recruitment process. When in doubt, kindly contact us at corpcomm@vra.com for verification.â€
“VRA wishes to assure all that the Authority is an equal opportunity employer committed to a fair recruitment process. Job seekers and the general public must, therefore, disregard the activities of such fraudulent persons at any point in time,†the statement added.
We are not recruiting staff for newly created offices NIA
The National Identification Authority (NIA) recently also denied commencing a recruitment exercise in some parts of the country.
Some messages circulating on various social media platforms, particularly Whatsapp had suggested that the NIA was undertaking staff recruitment for its newly created offices.
The NIA in a statement however clarified that it had neither commenced a recruitment process nor created new offices for the exercise.
“The National Identification Authority (NIA) has noted with grave concern fake messages circulating on various social media platforms, particularly Whatsapp, concerning alleged staff recruitment drive by NIA for its so-called newly created offices.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the NIA has not created any Regional, Municipal or District offices, neither has it commenced a recruitment process to staff any offices; claims or representations to the contrary by any person or entity whatsoever are false,†the NIA said in a statement.
Five Members of Parliament (MPs) in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis of the Western Region have donated a number of items valued at GHS40,000 cedis and a physical cash of GHS10,000 cedis making GHS50,000 cedis to the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital to curb the spread of deadly Coronavirus pandemic.
The MPs were; Hon. Joe Ghartey, Member of Parliament for Essikadu-Ketan and Minister for Railways, Hon. Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, Member of Parliament for Takoradi who doubles as the Western Regional Minister, Hon. Joseph Cudjoe, Member of Parliament for Effia and the Deputy Minister for Energy, Hon. Joe Mensah, Member of Parliament for Kwesimintsim and Member for Sekondi, Hon. Andrew Agyapa Mercer.
The items donated to the hospital included; 20 Veronica buckets, 100 pieces of PPEs, 100 pieces of disposable aprons, 100 boxes of nose masks, 100 pieces of headnets.
The rest were; 100 boxes of groves, 100 pairs of gumboots, 100 pieces of safety medical goggles, 580 bottles of hand sanitizers and 20 cartons of bottle water.
Making the presentation to the management of the Hospital, the MP for Takoradi Mr. Okyere Darko-Mensah said that the decision to donate to Effia-Nkwanta was to equip the facility to become more resourceful to the fight against the spread of COVID-19.
Mr. Darko-Mensah, therefore emphasized that, apart from the donation to the hospital, the individual MPs have made similar donations in their various Constituencies.
In an interview with GhanaWeb’s Western Regional Correspondent, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Kwesimintim, Mr. Joseph Mensah indicated that they (MPs) earlier decided to donate to the entire Region and later changed that decision to concentrate on Effia-Nkwanta because it was the last stop hospital in the Region where referrals were taken to.
Mr. Joseph Mensah, however, exhorted the public not to downplay the danger COVID-19 poses to our lives but rather adhere to the directives of the President to stay home as well as observing hygiene protocols.
Receiving the donation on behalf of the management and staff of the facility, the Medical Doctor, Dr. Joseph Kojo Tambil thanked them for the kind gesture and pledged to utilize the items to achieve its intended purpose.
Dr. Tambil said a lot of thinking and discussion has gone into the selection of the items, adding that each of the items were very useful to the fight against the killer Coronavirus.
He, therefore, applauded Government for instituting certain measures and incentives to motivate the Health Professionals in the discharge of their duties.
Five Members of Parliament (MPs) in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis of the Western Region have donated a number of items valued at GHS40,000 cedis and a physical cash of GHS10,000 cedis making GHS50,000 cedis to the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital to curb the spread of deadly Coronavirus pandemic.
The MPs were; Hon. Joe Ghartey, Member of Parliament for Essikadu-Ketan and Minister for Railways, Hon. Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, Member of Parliament for Takoradi who doubles as the Western Regional Minister, Hon. Joseph Cudjoe, Member of Parliament for Effia and the Deputy Minister for Energy, Hon. Joe Mensah, Member of Parliament for Kwesimintsim and Member for Sekondi, Hon. Andrew Agyapa Mercer.
The items donated to the hospital included; 20 Veronica buckets, 100 pieces of PPEs, 100 pieces of disposable aprons, 100 boxes of nose masks, 100 pieces of headnets.
The rest were; 100 boxes of groves, 100 pairs of gumboots, 100 pieces of safety medical goggles, 580 bottles of hand sanitizers and 20 cartons of bottle water.
Making the presentation to the management of the Hospital, the MP for Takoradi Mr. Okyere Darko-Mensah said that the decision to donate to Effia-Nkwanta was to equip the facility to become more resourceful to the fight against the spread of COVID-19.
Mr. Darko-Mensah, therefore emphasized that, apart from the donation to the hospital, the individual MPs have made similar donations in their various Constituencies.
In an interview with GhanaWeb’s Western Regional Correspondent, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Kwesimintim, Mr. Joseph Mensah indicated that they (MPs) earlier decided to donate to the entire Region and later changed that decision to concentrate on Effia-Nkwanta because it was the last stop hospital in the Region where referrals were taken to.
Mr. Joseph Mensah, however, exhorted the public not to downplay the danger COVID-19 poses to our lives but rather adhere to the directives of the President to stay home as well as observing hygiene protocols.
Receiving the donation on behalf of the management and staff of the facility, the Medical Doctor, Dr. Joseph Kojo Tambil thanked them for the kind gesture and pledged to utilize the items to achieve its intended purpose.
Dr. Tambil said a lot of thinking and discussion has gone into the selection of the items, adding that each of the items were very useful to the fight against the killer Coronavirus.
He, therefore, applauded Government for instituting certain measures and incentives to motivate the Health Professionals in the discharge of their duties.
Professional nurses under the Heal Ghana Module of Nation Builders Corps (NABCO) have petitioned the government and Ghana Health Service to enrol them as full-time staff.
According to them, the exposure as health workers during this Coronavirus pandemic exposes them to the potential risk of contracting the virus.
They, therefore, urged the government to appreciate their services by providing full inclusiveness in the health sector and give them stimulus packages that will motivate them to continue discharging their services.
In a statement copied to GhanaWeb, the group has threatened to withdraw their services if the government fails to adhere to their request.
They are also demanding an increment of their monthly allowance from GHC699.25 to GHC1000 as compensation for their relentless efforts and years of sacrifices made towards the extension of health care delivery in the country.
Below is a full statement
Nabco, Heal Ghana Nurses(Powered by CONAT)
Petition to Government: Give us Stimulus packages and permanent jobs else we will fall back amid the needful time of this Pandemic
We are grateful to the government led by H.E Nana Addo Dankwa for the timely intervention, Nation Builders Corps, which for close to two years has seen partial engagement of professional nurses under the Heal Ghana Module who were idle home after years of completing the various colleges and universities with the huge toll comprising 2013-2017 graduates of enrolled nurses.
Considerately, upon the inception of Nabco, a lot of graduate nurses were unwilling to subscribe to the course of nation-building due to reasons best known to them. However, we the section of nurses under Heal Ghana stood firm behind the government and eschewed all impudence, pride and traumas over possible low recognition against permanent colleagues with same certificates working in the various health sectors and most importantly the acknowledgement of the meagre allowance earmarked for the tedious services associated with our profession.
However, with determination, enthusiasm and insatiable patriotism to our quest of Nation Building, we bought into the idea of Nation Building and have modestly worked in the various health facilities complimenting the government’s commitments to expanding healthcare services across the length and breadth of this country.
We must admit, putting aside the envious juicy benefits reserved for permanent staffs, all duties towards health care delivery are assigned and performed equally between Nabco recruits and permanent staffs and in all circumstances, we as Heal Ghana Nurses have never resented and compromised our services because we love our country and the people.
Nevertheless, in the wake of the recent development of Coronavirus which is apparently spreading insidiously across the regions of this country, it is our panicking concern that every health personnel especially we the nurses having close contacts with patients at the various wards are at potential risk, therefore, this is the time for government to appreciate our services by full inclusiveness in health sector and giving us stimulus packages requisite to motivate us to continue discharging our selfless services.
Respectfully, we wish to reach out below our appeal to the government through the office of the C.E.O of Nabco, to the Office of the President, Ministry of Health, and Ministry Employment.
Petition below:
1. Request for Ghana Health Service to consider Nabco Trainees first in the upcoming recruitment. Particularly, we request that the portal is been opened to enrolled nurses under Heal Ghana who since 2013 have been neglected from accessing the portal and receive clearance for permanent job. We are much concerned with we the enrolled nurses who currently occupy greater number of Nabco recruits under Heal Ghana because since we got engaged, a lot of postings have been done seeing some of our colleagues grabbing permanent appointments including those who didn’t recognize Nabco job opportunity and sacrifices as worthy enough.
2. Request for extra allowances or commensurate increment of the monthly allowance from ¢699.25 to ¢1000.
3. Full life insurance package for all nurses under Heal Ghana Module of Nabco Initiative.
It is our utmost appeal that, the government gives urgent attention to our petition, and compensate our relentless efforts and years of sacrifices we’ve made towards extension of health care delivery.
We wish to maintain the position that if the government fails to adhere to the concerns raised, we will be left with no other option than to withdraw our services in the critical moments needed and again exercise cautions in our service delivery.
Thank You.
cc:
The C.O.E of Nabco
The President of the Republic of Ghana
The Minister of Health
The Minister of Employment
……… Signed…….
Gladys Seguwa Mensah
Secretary to the Group
0547980912
Patience Nartey
Treasurer
0542323071
Nana Barimah Asamoah Patron Coalition of Nabco Trainees
0550300049
Frank Mensah
PRO, Coalition of Nabco Trainees
0247735947
Local government Minister Hajia Alima Mahama has directed officials of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) to take food aid to homes of the vulnerable instead of sharing them on streets.
The directive comes on the back of the public anger at how food distribution to the vulnerable in the wake of the coronavirus lockdown has been done.
Some Ghanaians have taken to social media to express concerns over the manner in which government is distributing food to the vulnerable in the lockdown areas. Videos on social media have shown crowds gather in queues for food and other items.
Speaking to Starr News Tuesday, Alima Mahama said there is the need to change strategy in the distribution of food.
“The state institutions like NADMO are to distribute the packages to the homes of those who need them. As much as possible, the distribution is to be done at the homes,†she said.
Meanwhile, the Coalition of NGOs in Health has appealed to government to make use of the social workers in its social intervention provisions in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic in Ghana.
According to the chairman of the coalition, Gabriel Banaku, social workers will have better ways of managing social interventions and will not allow crowds to gather in the distribution of food.
“The social workers are not involved; they are not using them. There are some things happening that the social welfare people will not allow. This is not the time to see people with party colours sharing food and stuff,†he told Francis Abban on the Morning Starr.
Some Ghanaians have taken to social media to express concerns over the manner in which government is distributing food to the vulnerable in the lockdown areas. Videos on social media have shown crowds gather in queues for food and other items.
As COVID-19 takes hold of African economies, African business leaders are challenged with new risks and uncertainty. Africa.com has partnered with faculty of Harvard Business to lead a four week webinar series, “Crisis Management for African Business Leaders.”
The webinar series will feature panel discussions led by the faculty, in conversation with African business leaders including:
Welela Dawit, CFO, GE Africa
Kuseni Dlamini, Chair, Massmart
Kunle Elebute, Chairman, KPMG Africa
Foluso Philips, Chair, Philips Consulting
Funke Opeke, Founder and CEO, MainOne
Jay Ireland, Former President and CEO, GE Africa
Admassu Tadesse, Chief Executive, Trade and Development Bank
Fred Swaniker, Founder & CEO, African Leadership Group
Sim Tshabalala, Chief Executive, Standard Bank Group
Rob Shuter, President/CEO, MTN Group Ltd.
The four webinars are as follows:
April 15 Leadership in Times of Crisis, led by Linda Hill, Ph.D., Harvard Business School Professor of Business Administration, Faculty Chair, Leadership Initiative
April 22 Liquidity – Managing Cash Flow When Revenue & Funding Dry Up, led by Kunle Elebute, Chair of KPMG Africa
April 29: This Isn’t the West – How Africa’s Informal Sector Reacts to COVID-19, led by Hakeem Belo-Osagie, Harvard Business School Senior Lecturer of Business Administration
May 6: Strategic Planning in the Face of Uncertainty, led by Andy Zelleke, Ph.D., Harvard Business School Senior Lecturer of Business Administration
All webinars take place on Wednesdays, for 1.5 hours, commencing at:
9:00 EDT (New York) | 14:00 WAT (Nigeria/UK) | 15:00 CAT (South Africa) | 16:00 EAT (Kenya)
Teresa Clarke, Chair and Executive Editor of Africa.com, said “We are moved beyond words with the generosity shown by African business leaders and Harvard faculty to set aside their own tremendous challenges today, in order to share their best thinking with other African business leaders on how they are taking companies forward and protecting the communities they serve.”
The Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) is rallying national support to fix its equipment deficit as COVID-19 bites the facility hard.
The facility has been overstretched over the last month with its 25-bed makeshift Highly Infectious Unit, created to handle only those who are critically ill from COVID-19, under pressure due to the number of cases in the region.
The Chief Executive Officer of KATH, Dr Oheneba Danso, said during a donation by the Forestry Commission to the facility that due to the central location of KATH, it took care of people from the middle and northern belts, adding that that had caused the facility to work under intense pressure.
Equipment
Dr Danso said: “For now, due to the lack of equipment, our main focus is those who are critically ill and how to assist them in their breathing.
“We have forwarded our request to the central government through the Ministry of Health and we are optimistic help will come soon,” he said.
Currently, the Intensive Care Unit of KATH is taking care of both patients of COVID-19 as well as others suffering from other illnesses, bringing the facility under intense stress.
Dr Danso called for “an upgrade of the intensive care unit” to be able to handle the current situation, aside from the newly created makeshift 25-bed unit for highly infectious diseases.
He said the use of basic equipment, including overalls for doctors and sanitisers, had tripled since the outbreak of the pandemic, adding that “this calls for urgent and immediate intervention to save the situation.â€
Donation
The commission, led by its Deputy Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mr John Allotey, presented 20 pieces of infrared thermometer and a cheque for GH¢200,000 to the hospital.
The donation followed a request made by the facility for support to purchase some of the critical equipment to treat patients.
Mr Allotey said the presentation was one of many that the commission was undertaking in “these trying moments” as its contribution to saving the situation.
A similar donation had been made to the Tema General Hospital, he added.
A new study showed that some women who delivered babies in the city in recent weeks had been inflicted with the coronavirus without displaying symptoms.
NewYork-Presbyterian and Columbia University Medical Center screened more than 200 women for the illness upon admission between March 22 and April 4, according to the study.
Among the 33 patients who tested positive, 29 of them had no symptoms.
One patient with a swab that was negative for SARS-CoV-2 on admission became symptomatic after giving birth, and was tested again 3 days after the initial test.
SARS-CoV-2 is the severe acute respiratory syndrome that causes COVID-19.
The first diagnosed case of COVID-19 in an obstetrical patient was on March 13, 2020, according to doctors in the study.
The study, doctors claim, underscores the risk of COVID-19 among asymptomatic obstetrical patients. It also warns the true prevalence of infection may be underreported because of false-negative results of tests to detect SARS-CoV-2.
“The potential benefits of a universal testing approach include the ability to use COVID-19 status to determine hospital isolation practices and bed assignments, inform neonatal care, and guide the use of personal protective equipment,†the study says.
“Access to such clinical data provides an important opportunity to protect mothers, babies, and health care teams during these challenging times.â€
British foreign minister Dominic Raab is set to announce on Thursday that the lockdown in the country will stay in place until at least May 7, the Times reported.
Raab, deputizing for Prime Minister Boris Johnson who is recovering from COVID-19, earlier on Monday said he did not expect the government to make any changes to the lockdown measures currently in place until it was confident they could be made safely.
A total of 11,329 people have died in hospitals across the UK after testing positive for coronavirus, according to a health ministry statement on Monday.
Prince Harry could give up hunting because his wife dislikes the sport, according to conservationist Dr Jane Goodall.
In an interview with Radio Times, Dr Goodall said she had spoken to the Duke of Sussex since he and Meghan stepped down as senior royals.
At the suggestion that Harry and his brother, the Duke of Cambridge, were champions of the natural world, she said: “Yes, except they hunt and shoot. But I think Harry will stop because Meghan doesn’t like hunting, so I suspect that is over for him.”
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have previously championed environmental causes, including setting up an eco-tourism initiative, Travelyst, under their Sussex Royal Foundation.
Image: Dr Jane Goodall visited Harry and Meghan last year
Meghan also asked for her earnings from her voiceover role on Disney+ film Elephant to be donated to Elephants Without Borders, a wildlife charity supported by Harry.
Dr Goodall, 86, said she thought Harry was finding life “a bit challenging” following his move to Los Angeles.
“I don’t know how his career is going to map out, but yes, I’ve been in touch, though I think he’s finding life a bit challenging just now,” she said.
Around half of deaths from COVID-19 are happening in care homes, according to data from some European countries.
Figures from five European countries suggest that care home residents have accounted for between 42% and 57% of all deaths related to COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus.
The figures are contained in a report by academics at the London School of Economics, which focuses on Italy, Spain, France, Ireland and Belgium.
This would suggest that the daily figures announced by the UK government are vastly under-estimated, as they only include deaths in hospitals where a patient had tested positive for the virus.
Almost two million people worldwide have been infected with the disease and around 120,000 have died after testing positive for it, according to data from US university Johns Hopkins.
A mother with coronavirus has given birth while in a medically induced coma.
Angela Primachenko, 27, from Vancouver, Washington, caught COVID-19 in March and was placed on a ventilator when she was 33 weeks pregnant, according to her twin sister.
The respiratory therapist’s condition deteriorated to the point where doctors put her into a coma at Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center and later helped deliver her baby while she was under.
The baby, named Ava, tested negative for COVID-19 but has had to be kept apart from her mother temporarily.
Mrs Primachenko shared a photo of her newborn on Sunday, writing: “Baby Ava is still in the NICU and i still haven’t been able to see her in person.”
The next day, the now mother-of-two announced she had been discharged from hospital, writing: “7 days in the hospital. 10 days intubated. Thousands of prayers later I am home and it feels so good!!!!!”
On March 30, her twin sister launched a fundraiser to help with the medical costs, raising almost $50,000 (£39,800) so far.
Patients with COVID-19 have suffered strokes and other neurological symptoms, according to the first scientific study to analyse the effects of the disease on the brain.
The study found that neurological effects were seen in just over a third of all cases of hospitalised COVID-19 patients, but affected more than 45% of those with severe infections.
It isn’t yet clear if the coronavirus is causing the strokes directly or as a result of the body’s inflammatory response, and leading neurologists say more research is needed.
They warn that as well as respiratory symptoms, doctors need to consider potential neurological effects when assessing new patients.
The study was carried out by researchers at Huazhong University in Wuhan, and the Barrow Neurological Institute in Arizona.
The team analysed cases in Wuhan in China, the original epicentre of the outbreak, between 16 January and 19 February – including 214 hospitalised patients whose diagnoses were laboratory-confirmed.
Just over a third of these patients, 78 (36.4%), had neurological symptoms as well as respiratory symptoms.
“Compared with patients with non-severe infection, patients with severe infection were older, had more underlying disorders, especially hypertension, and showed fewer typical symptoms of COVID-19, such as fever and cough,” they found.
The study, in the journal JAMA, was published alongside an editorial by leading neurologists which notes the similarity of the coronavirus to SARS – which researchers have shown caused strokes.
However, unlike in SARS patients, the new study found that neurological symptoms could occur very early within the infection.
Some patients presented at hospital without a fever but had neurological issues including losing their taste or smell, as well more significant impacts such as impaired consciousness, headaches and dizziness.
The scientists warn that the disease may infect the “nervous system and skeletal muscle as well as [the] respiratory tract” which could provide healthcare workers with an additional way to diagnose patients.
COVID-19 has “now reached pandemic status and is common all over the world” said the neurologists in their editorial.
“With so many affected patients, we can expect as neurologists to be confronted with these patients commonly in coming months and years.”
Italy, the worst-hit country in Europe, has recorded its lowest number of new coronavirus-related deaths in more than three weeks.
Authorities say 431 people died with COVID-19 in the past day – the lowest in a 24-hour period since 19 March – bringing the total to 19,899.
For the ninth consecutive day, the number of patients admitted into intensive care with the virus was down, and the number taken to hospital overall also fell.
As Italy began its fifth week under lockdown, more than 4,000 people were diagnosed, continuing a general flattening of the so-called curve.
But officials have noted the nation has also increased the number of people being tested in recent days, with more positive cases, but allowing for more effective quarantine measures for those once they know they are infected.
On Sunday, the country passed the one million mark in testing, doubling the number since the end of March.
Image: Italy has recorded its lowest daily number of deaths for three weeks
Overall, 156,363 people have been confirmed to have the virus, although it is claimed the true number could be as much as 10 times that, particularly in the hard-hit Lombardy area.
Image: For the ninth consecutive day, the number of patients in Italy admitted into intensive care was down
Meanwhile, Italy’s civil protection agency has arranged for rescued migrants to be placed in quarantine to check for coronavirus infections on ships or on land.
More than 1.8 million people worldwide have now been infected, and over 113,000 have died, according to the Johns Hopkins University, which is tracking the pandemic.
Coronavirus: The infection numbers in real time
Spain has now overtaken Italy in terms of cases, with more than 166,000 – second only to the United States – and almost 17,000 people in Spain have died with the virus.
The country’s latest fatality figure rose for the first time in three days on Sunday, to 619, bringing the total to 16,972.
More than 60,000 patients have recovered.
Spain also recorded its lowest daily growth in confirmed infections in three weeks, as it prepares to loosen its strict lockdown measures and allow some workers to return to their jobs.
Those who can work from home are strongly being encouraged by authorities to continue doing so.
Retail shops will remain closed, other than supermarkets, fruit stands, bakeries, butchers, newsstands and pharmacies.
In the UK, another 737 people with COVID-19 died in hospitals, taking the total passed the 10,000 mark – to 10,612.
The total number of infections in Britain now stands at 84,279.
In the Republic of Ireland, the number of deaths has risen by 14 to 334. There are 9,655 infections.
In France, the number of deaths – which includes figures from hospitals and nursing homes – rose by 561 to 14,393 as of Sunday.
But for the fourth day in a row, slightly fewer people were admitted into intensive care.
However, the country’s health authority said it was important to remain vigilant because hospitals were still taking in a very large number of patients.
Russia reported its largest daily increase of cases on Sunday – 2,186 – since the outbreak began.
Moscow and many other regions have been in lockdown for almost two weeks, but the number of cases reached 15,770 – while the number of deaths rose to 130.
Authorities in the capital have clamped down on those venturing outside without a reason, such as to buy food or medicine, get medical treatment, walk the dog, or take out the rubbish.
Around 3.5 million people there, in a city of 12.5 million, reportedly left their homes for more than six hours on Friday, according to a track analysis of their mobile phones – and more than 1,300 fines have been issued for breaking rules.
Moscow is preparing to introduce digital permits next week to control movement to help enforce the lockdown.
Image: Vehicles spray disinfectant while sanitising a road in Moscow
In Japan, two workers’ groups have issued a joint statement warning about a “collapse of emergency medicine,” which may lead to the collapse of medicine overall.
The Japanese Association for Acute Medicine, and the Japanese Society for Emergency Medicine have said healthcare facilities are being stretched amid a surge in coronavirus patients.
The statement said many hospitals were turning people away who were brought in by ambulance, including those suffering strokes, heart attacks and external injuries.
It said that some who were not accepted, later turned out to have the virus.
Japan – which has declared a state of emergency and is asking people to stay at home – has nearly 7,000 cases, and 108 deaths, but the numbers are growing.
However there is better news for Australia, with its chief medical officer saying the country is “in a good place” in its fight against the disease, as deaths rose by just three, to 59.
It now has 6,289 confirmed cases.
Brendan Murphy has said there is “no place in the world I would rather be than Australia at the moment”.
Statement by the Measles & Rubella Initiative: American Red Cross, U.S. CDC, UNICEF, UN Foundation and WHO
“As COVID-19 continues to spread globally, over 117 million children in 37 countries may miss out on receiving life-saving measles vaccine. Measles immunization campaigns in 24 countries have already been delayed; more will be postponed.
“During this challenging period, the Measles & Rubella Initiative (M&RI) expresses solidarity with families, communities, governments and emergency responders and joins our global immunization and health partners, including those within Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) in our collective focus and fight against the threat of COVID-19. The pandemic sweeping the globe requires a coordinated effort and commitment of resources to ensure frontline health workers around the world are protected, as they face and respond to this new threat. At the same time, we must also champion efforts to protect essential immunization services, now and for the future.
“The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued new guidelines endorsed by the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization — to help countries to sustain immunization activities during the COVID-19 pandemic. The guidelines recommend that governments temporarily pause preventive immunization campaigns where there is no active outbreak of a vaccine-preventable disease. M&RI partners, which include the American Red Cross, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, UNICEF, the United Nations Foundation and WHO, strongly agree with these recommendations. We also urge countries to continue routine immunization services, while ensuring the safety of communities and health workers. The recommendations also ask governments to undertake a careful risk-benefit analysis when deciding whether to delay vaccination campaigns in response to outbreaks, with the possibility of postponement where risks of COVID-19 transmission are deemed unacceptably high.
“The M&RI supports the need to protect communities and health workers from COVID-19 through a pause of mass campaigns, where risks of the disease are high. However, this should not mean that children permanently miss out. Urgent efforts must be taken now at local, national, regional and global levels to prepare to close the immunity gaps that the measles virus will exploit, by ensuring that vaccines are available and that they reach children and vulnerable populations, as quickly as possible, to keep them safe.
“Despite having a safe and effective vaccine for over 50 years, measles cases surged over recent years and claimed more than 140,000 lives in 2018, mostly of children and babies all of which were preventable. Against this already dangerous backdrop, preventive and responsive measles vaccination campaigns have now been paused or postponed in 24 countries to help avert further spread of COVID-19. Campaigns expected to take place later in 2020 in an additional 13 countries may not be implemented. Together, more than 117 million children in 37 countries, many of whom live in regions with ongoing measles outbreaks, could be impacted by the suspension of scheduled immunization activities. This staggering number does not include the number of infants that may not be vaccinated because of the effect of COVID-19 on routine immunization services. Children younger than 12 months of age are more likely to die from measles complications, and if the circulation of measles virus is not stopped, their risk of exposure to measles will increase daily.
“The M&RI salutes the heroism of health and emergency workers across the globe, and we recognize the vital role they play in delivering clear, trusted information, as well as preventive and supportive care within their communities. We must invest in health workers and ensure they are protected from infection and empowered as part of sustainable and functioning primary health systems. They are the first line of defense against global epidemics. We also recognize the role of parents and caregivers in ensuring their children are vaccinated by following physical distancing recommendations in line with national guidance. Finally, we call on countries and local leaders to implement effective communication strategies to engage communities, ensure supply and demand for vaccination remains strong, and help assure a healthy life for every child especially in this challenging time.â€
Flagbearer of the leading opposition party, John Dramani Mahama has said he will establish another medical research centre with capacity like the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, as well as double the bed capacity of 37military hospital when voted as president in the 2020 elections.
The former president said the development will be part of a national infectious disease response plan under his watch.
The plan, according to him, will clearly set out the specific steps to be taken to prevent the entry of such diseases, quickly arrest them at a very early stage even if they do enter our shores and reduce their impact to the barest minimum.
Mr. Mahama averred that under the plan, he, as president will work to double the capacity of the 37 military hospital, build an infectious diseases centre at the facility to cater for the Southern sector to manage infections like Ebola and COVID-19.
â€I have previously stated that given the opportunity, I will ensure that we establish another medical research centre with capacity like the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR) and the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine (KCCR) in the Northern part of Ghana as part of the Response Plan,â€
â€Under the plan, we will double the bed capacity of the 37 military hospital and build an Infectious Diseases Centre there to cater for the Southern sector in order to help manage infections like Ebola and COVID-19,†the former president said.
In an Easter message sighted by ABC News, Mr. Mahama said Ghana has reached a difficult spot in the fight against COVID-19 hence the need for the future plan but added that the country will pull through the difficulties.
â€From the latest statistics and escalation in numbers, it is clear we are in a difficult spot in the battle to contain COVID-19. But together we can overcome the uncertainties of the moment. The latest revelation that 57.1% of infected persons have no history of foreign travel is particularly worrisome. It implies that we may have begun to experience community transmission of the virus,†he said.
The COVID-19 pandemic which is ravaging many countries worldwide has not taken it easy on the Ghanaian economy as it has virtually grounded every economic activity to a halt.
This has brought hardships onto a lot of businesses in the country many of which have resorted to retrenchment either by laying off workers or cutting down their salaries by various percentages.
The hardest hit of these businesses, however, appears to be those belonging to the small scale business industry, some of which are gradually folding up, if they have not already folded up.
In a bid to mitigate the impact of the virus, the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has introduced several relief packages for businesses across all sectors to alleviate the sufferings and resuscitate them.
In the case of the small scale businesses, the government has instituted a GHC600m soft loan scheme with a flexible payment schedule to support them.
Upon taking the loan, beneficiaries will have a one-year moratorium after which they will be given two years to make repayment.
According to the Ministry of Finance, however, the National Board for Small Scale Industry (NBSSI) has developed criteria that must be met by businesses to benefit from the facility and that will be done with no iota of political discrimination whatsoever.
In an interview monitored by ABC News, a Deputy Minister for Finance, Mrs. Abena Osei Asare noted that there are three criteria in all to follow to successfully have access to the loan.
She said a business or an individual must first be associated with a recognised trade group, have a Tax Identification Number (TIN) as the next thing and finally own either a bank account or a mobile money account.
“There are three things that everybody who hopes to qualify for such a relief should have.â€
“One is that you should belong to a recognised trade association; two is that you should have a tax identification number (TIN) and then three you should have a bank account or a mobile money account. These are the three basic things that we will be looking out for,†she said.
“But the criteria for identifying these beneficiaries will be developed by NBSSI, so they will roll those out in conjunction with the rural banks. We think that to manage these things effectively or to implement it effectively, we should establish a steering committee chaired by both the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Trade and Industry,†she stated.
MyNewsGh.com has confirmed that a patient who tested positive for the deadly coronavirus in Walewale in the North East Region has died.
The deceased who showed signs and symptoms of the virus died shortly after being admitted at the Walewale Government Hospital.
Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) Â Arimyao Somo Lucky who confirmed the latest information to MyNewsGh.com said samples of the patient were taken prior to his death and the results turned positive.
“He was taken to the facility some days ago with signs and symptoms of the virus but died shortly on admission. The results is out but is positiveâ€. He revealed.
Relations of the deceased claim however claim he has an asthmatic condition because, he has no travel history that could point the cause of his death to the coronavirus.
Ghana currently has recorded 378 cases of the deadly virus with 6 deaths and 34 recoveries.
Meanwhile President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has extended the partial lockdown of Greater Accra and Kumasi by additional week to allow for contact tracing and testing of suspected cases.
According to the President, Ghanaians should bear with him adding that this is to help in the fight to contain the deadly virus.
For one to have thought Nana Addo could do nothing to prevent COVID-19 from getting into Ghana is very mindboggling. COVID-19 isn’t mandated to be in every country but for the carelessness and indecision of our president. As I write, there are countries that have not recorded positive cases yet, with others only recording imported cases.
Citizens in such countries wake up and continue with their usual routine without a lockdown, no military brutalities, no fear and panic, no adverse social economic effects on their economy, no sugarcoated words from their President and Ghana could have been one but Nana Addo whom incompetence is too romantic to describe failed to shield us.
He allowed us to be strike by the spear and suddenly appear to nurse our wounds. It even appeared as Government was the one propagating ignorance that the disease cannot affect the black race because, from all indications, nothing was done to prevent the disease. Is only after the enemy has strike that Nana Addo is portraying to have our interest at heart.
Clear evidence is when the government is going back to records to trace those who entered the country before March 13th, what if a positive COVID-19 patient entered Ghana and attended the independence day on the 6th March, how do we do the contact tracing. One may have contracted the disease it and send to his village, it is for this reason why all health officials must benefit from the 50% basic salary allowance because health workers in the village are also at risk of contracting the disease in the course of their work. The definition of front line workers on my mind.
In times like this we look out for leaders who are proactive, competent and visionary not a situation where we need funds to urgently fight a course and you pledge 3months salary which can only be deducted at the end of the month. Is it an indirect way to secure your May and June salary if say COVID-19 ends in April?
Is upon this conviction that Grandpa says he is also growing his Cocoa and will later harvest it to raise funds to help fight Coronavirus.
We are dying and Nana Addo is promising money he has not worked for in the future.
Up till now, government is only depending on donated PPE’s and haven’t been able to procure some.
There is a saying in twi that goes “s3 )kwan no anka wo dan aaa wose contractor no y3 good” If your business is collapsing, if you are locked down without basic necessities, if you were the one killed in Ashaiman or you have been directly affected by COVID-19, which was occasioned by Nana Addo’s negligence and you are at the point of death, you would realize that no amount of crafted words, no intervention, no tax waiver, no allowance or any freebie is so important. We are suffering from COVID-19 because of the recklessness, lack of productiveness and insensitivity by our President hence incompetent is too romantic to describe him.
I would like cease this opportunity to thank all those helping in diverse ways to combat COVID-19 and also thank John Mahana for establishing the stabilization fund (which the government is relying on now) securing the Onuado van and Ayalolo buses which is playing a crucial role in the fight against COVID-19 and establishing the Contingency fund which NPP has depleted the account not for it purpose and also call on the government to scrap 100% electricity bills for every Ghanaian because if not for his negligence, we would have been well off. What he has given is a chicken feed and even Togo government has done better by scrapping all electricity bills.
Happy good Friday and STAY AT HOME
Because we only look up to God for survival, let with this government alone which incompetent is too romantic to describe, we would all die.
Much of Europe is still on coronavirus lockdown, with severe restrictions on movement and penalties for those who transgress.
But not Sweden. Restaurants and bars are open in the Nordic country, playgrounds and schools too, and the government is relying on voluntary action to stem the spread of Covid-19.
It’s a controversial approach, and one that’s drawn US President Donald Trump’s attention. “Sweden did that, the herd, they call it the herd. Sweden’s suffering very, very badly,” Trump said on Tuesday.
But the Swedish government is confident its policy can work. Foreign Minister Ann Linde told Swedish TV on Wednesday that Trump was “factually wrong” to suggest that Sweden was following the “herd immunity” theory — of letting enough people catch the virus while protecting the vulnerable, meaning a country’s population builds up immunity against the disease.
Sweden’s strategy, she said, was: “No lockdown and we rely very much on people taking responsibility themselves.”
The country’s state epidemiologist, Anders Tegnell, also pushed back against Trump’s criticism that Sweden was doing badly. “I think Sweden is doing okay,” he told CNN affiliate Expressen. “It’s producing quality results the same way it’s always done. So far Swedish health care is handling this pandemic in a fantastic way.”
Swedish authorities have allowed a large amount of personal freedom unlike other European countries.
Sweden’s actions are about encouraging and recommending, not compulsion. Two days after Spain imposed a nationwide lockdown on March 14, Swedish authorities were encouraging people to wash hands and stay at home if sick. On March 24, new rules were introduced to avoid crowding at restaurants. But they very much stayed open.
So did many primary and secondary schools. Gatherings of up to 50 people are still permitted.
Tegnell defended the decision to keep schools open. “We know that closing down schools has a lot of effects on health care because a lot of people can’t go to their work anymore. A lot of children are suffering when they can’t go to school.”
Elisabeth Liden, a journalist in Stockholm, told CNN the city is less crowded now. “The subway went from being completely packed to having only a few passengers per car. I get the sense that a vast majority are taking the recommendations of social distancing seriously.”
But she added that while “some Swedes won´t even kiss their spouse, others are throwing Easter parties.”
Fresh surge
Much of Sweden’s focus has been to protect the elderly. Anyone aged 70 or older has been told to stay at home and limit their social contact as much as possible. One Swedish government official said that on the whole people supported the government’s approach, but many were “upset about the fact that no ban on visiting homes for elderly was set until recently [April 1], and now the virus is widely spread among these homes, causing the death toll to rise.”
The World Health Organization (WHO) is skeptical of Sweden’s approach. Noting a fresh surge in the country’s infections, the WHO told CNN Wednesday that it’s “imperative” that Sweden “increase measures to control spread of the virus, prepare and increase capacity of the health system to cope, ensure physical distancing and communicate the why and how of all measures to the population.”
Swedish restaurants have very much remained open.
“Only an ‘all of society’ approach will work to prevent escalation and turn this situation around,” said a WHO Europe spokesperson.
Sweden’s “curve” — the rate of infections and deaths caused by coronavirus — is certainly steeper than that of many other European countries with stricter measures. A study by Imperial College London estimated that 3.1% of the Swedish population was infected (as of March 28) — compared to 0.41% in Norway and 2.5% in the UK.
As for deaths, by April 8, coronavirus accounted for 67 fatalities per 1 million Swedish citizens, according to the Swedish Health Ministry. Norway had 19 deaths per million, Finland seven per million. The number of deaths rose 16% on Wednesday.
Some Swedish researchers are demanding the government must be stricter. This week several prominent Swedish clinicians wrote an open letter lamenting that large numbers of people are visiting bars, restaurants and shopping malls, even ski slopes. “This unfortunately is translating into a death toll that continues to climb in Sweden.”
Tom Britton, professor of mathematical statistics at Stockholm University, models how infectious diseases behave in a population. He believes 40% of the Swedish capital’s population will be infected by the end of April. While acknowledging the difficulty of measuring the rate of infection, he told CNN that “my best guess today would be 10% or a bit more” of Swedes currently have the virus nationwide.
Some opponents of the government’s policy fear that reliance on voluntary behavior will cause a much faster spike in cases, potentially overwhelming the health care system. Sweden also has one of the lowest ratios of critical care beds per capita in Europe, and the government official who spoke with CNN said that supplies of protective equipment are only just staying ahead of demand.
In some ways, however, Sweden is better prepared to weather the storm than other countries. Some 40% of the country’s workforce worked from home regularly, even before the virus struck and Sweden has a high ratio of people living on their own, whereas in southern Europe it’s not uncommon to have three generations under one roof.
Emma Grossmith, a British employment lawyer working in Stockholm, says another factor in Sweden’s favor is a generous social welfare net that means people don’t feel obligated to turn up for work if their young child is sick. State support kicks in on day one of absence from work due to a child being sick. “The system here was already well set up to help people to make smarter choices which ultimately benefit the wider population,” she told CNN.
But Grossmith notes a big gap between the way Swedes and expatriates view the virus. “There is a native trust in the system amongst those who have grown up with it. In contrast, many of the expat community feel that the strategy has neither been communicated clearly nor robustly challenged in the Swedish press. They are deeply worried.”
The next month will determine whether the Swedish system got it right.
Rwanda’s courts have started to conduct trials through video link-up in an effort to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
In a room at Kigali metropolitan police station suspects sat separated, in masks and handcuffed.
Everyone waited their turn in front of a TV screen to face the prosecution and judges, who were in different rooms across the capital.
It is week three of the lockdown in Rwanda, where 110 people were infected by the virus.
Courts had closed during the lockdown but crimes continued to be committed so people kept being added to the list of those awaiting trial.
The spokesperson for Rwanda’s courts, Harrison Mutabazi, told journalists that they wanted to reduce the backlog.
When it is their turn, a suspect is freed from handcuffs and goes in front of the unusual trial.
Mr Mutabazi said this technology would be used in other courts in Rwanda during the lockdown.
Last week, the prosecution service started releasing those suspected of petty crimes to avoid holding too many people and risk speeding up the spread of Covid-19, the respiratory illness caused by coronavirus.
Several MPs in Botswana have been caught breaking their self-isolation instructions and have now been placed in supervised quarantine.
On Thursday, all parliamentarians and President Mokgweetsi Masisi were asked to quarantine for 14 days after a health worker who had been screening them for the coronavirus herself tested positive.
However a government statement said some of the MPs had regrettably been seen shopping in supermarkets.
They have been moved from their homes to a supervised government facility.
The statement did not say how many lawmakers had broken the rules.
Botswana has reported 13 coronavirus cases and one death.
Zimbabwe’s embattled national airline is to send some of its staff on indefinite unpaid leave later this month following a drop in revenue caused by global travel restrictions.
Air Zimbabwe, which has just one aeroplane, was already $300m (£237m) in debt before the coronavirus pandemic struck. At the end of March it grounded its flights altogether.
“This decision has been made after evaluating all the available and possible options,” Air Zimbabwe said in a message to staff, according to Bloomberg News
Air Zimbabwe is quoted by Reuters news agency as saying it will keep a skeleton staff for the time being
, and that all empoyees will still receive their April salaries.
Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has predicted a radical change to the outlook of global economy after the coronavirus pandemic.
The deadly coronavirus, which started in China last year, has not only devastated humanity, it has also ravaged economies around the world as countries battle to stop the virus.
Writing on his Twitter account on Friday, Dr. Bawumia predicted the effects of the pandemic will change the global economic outlook.
“The post COVID-19 global economic architecture is going to be a radically different one,” wrote the Vice President.
With countries, especially African nations, leading their own unique charge against COVID-19, Dr. Bawumia has also predicted that the experience will make African countries more self reliant, especially in the production of goods and services.
“It will usher in more self-reliance in the production of goods and services. We in Africa have to get ready for this future.”
Many respondents to his tweet commended and agreed with the Vice President’s tweet.
One of them was economist, Professor Peter Quartey of the University of Ghana, who added that Ghana must position itself and produce a lot of import substitutes.
“Well said Veep,” wrote Professor Quartey.
“Ghana certainly has to position itself and produce a lot of import substitutes. The small business soft loans to be administered by NBSSI can make a lot of difference if it is well targeted and given to deserving businesses,” he added.
The post COVID-19 global economic architecture is going to be a radically different one. It will usher in more self- reliance by countries in the production of goods and services. We in Africa have to get ready for this future.
Pharmatrust Company Limited, a registered pharmaceutical company in the country has presented Veronica buckets and quantities of alcohol-based hand sanitisers worth GH¢10,000 to the Pharmacy Council.
The Chief Executive Officer of Pharmatrust, Mr. Anthony Kwame Adjepong who presented the items, said the world today is facing new realities and disruption for healthcare professionals worldwide as a result of the coronavirus (COVID 19) pandemic.
He said the world is in dire need of creative and inventive minds and international cooperation to address this novel pandemic more than ever and added that the novel SARS CoV-2 which is causing the disease termed as COVID 19 is putting an unprecedented pressure on social, health and economic systems across the globe.
He said the gesture has come at a time to respond favourably to the tall list of requests by the Pharmacy Council.
The Registrar of the Pharmacy Council, Dr Audu Rauf, on behalf of the governing board, management and staff of the Pharmacy Council, received the items and expressed appreciation to Mr. Adjepong for the support.
He thanked the pharmaceutical sector for playing their part in these difficult times and advised all pharmacists to stock and dispense only FDA approved alcohol-based hand sanitizers.
The Member of Parliament of the Nadowli/Kaleo Constituency and second deputy speaker of Parliament, Alban S.K Bagbin, on Thursday, donated a number of Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs), valued at GHC70,000 to the Nadowli/Kaleo District Health Directorate to augment the district’s preparedness and readiness in the fight against COVID-19 disease.
The PPEs were presented at a short ceremony on behalf of the MP by Biekpe T. Sylvester, the communication officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Nadowli-Kaleo Constituency.
The PPEs included 53 full sets of Overall Personal Protective Equipment (each comprising of Dupont Tyvet coverall, N-95 respirator, surgical nosemask, face shield, safety goggles, disposable apron, examination gloves, heavy duty gloves, hand sanitizer and shoe cover) and 50 sets of Sigma gum boots.
Other auxiliary support included 42 pieces of non-contact infrared thermometers, 5 cartons of 250mls hand sanitizers as well as 20 gallons of 1L GIHOC sanitizers.
The donation was received by the District Director of Health, Mrs Phebe in the presence of some staff of the Nadowli-Kaleo district health directorate, the District Coordinating Director, the District Director of Education, the District Police Command, the District BNI Officer, some Constituency Executives and members of the National Democratic Congress led by the Hon. Bartholomew, Vice Chairman.
The Party therefore wishes to thank the staff of the district health services for their dedication and commitment to ensuring Covid-19 free in the district and to assure them of the unflinching support by Rt.Hon Bagbin, Anthony Sumah and the Party in these abnormal times.
Recognizing the devastating effects posed by the disease to the lives of the people, this donation is expected to augment an earlier donation of Ghc20,000 by the Rt. Hon. Alban S.K Bagbin and other items such as Veronica buckets, sanitizers and washing soap that were donated by the NDC 2020 Parliamentary Candidate, Hon. Anthony Mwinkaara Sumah, in the fight against the deadly COVID-19 disease.
The Ellembelle District Assembly in the Western Region as part of measures to curb the spread of the deadly Coronavirus pandemic has successfully disinfected fourteen market centres and other vital areas.
The exercise which forms part of government’s efforts to get rid of COVID-19 was carried out by Ellembelle District Coronavirus Committee under the supervision of the Western Regional Coordinating Council (WRCC).
Some of the markets which were fumigated included; Aiyinasi market, Asasetre market, Esiama market, Teleku-Bokazo market, Nkroful market, Asanta market, Awiebo market, Aiyinasi Marine Police Headquarters, Esiama Divisional Police station, lorry stations
In all, 76 youth were engaged to spray all the markets and other places with the support of the Ellembelle District Police Command and some military men from Apremdo 2BN.
Mr. Kwasi Bonzoh, the District Chief Executive (DCE) for the area who spoke to GhanaWeb’s Western Regional Correspondent Daniel Kaku, commended the youth who dedicated their time to spray the selected areas
He also hailed the staff of the Assembly for participating in the disinfection exercise.
“This is not going to be a nine-day wonder, the Assembly will continue to do this disinfection regularly, we will also disinfect toilet places”, he promised.
He urged the market women to continue adhering to safety measures.
“The best way we can protect ourselves against this disease is to stay at home, if you stay at home you will not contract the disease, so if you don’t have anything important to do outside, stay at home, so we are asking Ghanaians to stay at home so they can stay safe from the COVID-19 disease”, he emphasized.
He also took the opportunity to donate PPEs to Ellembelle District Health Directorate including 100 Veronica buckets to some communities.
On her part, the Deputy Western Regional Minister who supervised the exercise on behalf of the Coordinating Council, Mrs. Eugenia Gifty Kusi commended the Ellembelle District for the successful exercise.
“I have toured all the disinfecting places and I have to commend the Ellembelle District Assembly for the great work done, I am so happy, they have done well, I will also thank the sprayers for dedicating their time to spray the market places and other places”, she noted.
Ghana has so far recorded 378 confirmed cases with 6 deaths.
The United States Ambassador to Ghana, Stephanie S. Sullivan has asked lawful or permanent US residents interested in potential Embassy-organized flight to register.
Making the announcement on the US Embassy in Ghana Instagram page, the Ambassador said those who have not already enrolled on the Smart Traveler Enrolment Program (STEP) to complete an online request form available via this link https://bit.ly/2xAhHAR to receive updates from step.state.gov.
The US Embassy in Ghana has already repatriated 305 Americans from Ghana in the wake of the novel coronavirus outbreak.
The Eastern region has recorded 15 more COVID-19 cases bringing the total number of cases in the region to 16.
The region recorded its first case on March 31 but has since had 15 more confirmed cases.
A breakdown from the Eastern region Health Directorate stated that a total of 257 contacts have been identified with 252 identified and followed up. The statement added that five other contacts have completed the 14-day quarantine and tested.
Meanwhile, confirmed cases of Coronavirus in Ghana have risen to 378, President Akufo-Addo has disclosed.
The President made the disclosure in his 6th address to the nation since the first case was confirmed in the country.
