TIG Post

Tag: coronavirus in Ghana

  • Is the politicization of COVID-19 necessary?

    As things continue to unfold in a global pandemic era, political big wigs and some party faithful refuse to let go of petty politicking.

    People are beginning to question the essence of needless political arguments in the wake of a global health crisis.

    It looks as though the world is facing a two-fold crisis: first, a pandemic threatening to ravage public health systems around the globe if governments and individuals fail to enforce and adhere to strict social distancing; second, an epidemic of false information, in which anyone gets to say anything, credible or not, to advance personal agendas.

    Certainly, political parties are doing a terrible disservice to the public by politicizing the pandemic. As we all know by now, COVID-19 is a life and death issue, and not a fodder for scoring political points.

    This is in contrast with the World Health Organization (WHO) directives, as the Head of the global body has advised that the COVID-19 pandemic should not be politicized because unity is the “only option” to defeat the disease.

    WHO has also recommended, it is important for nations to work across party lines and across religious lines, instead of unnecessary finger pointing.

    The opposition National Democratic Congress has accused the ruling party, NPP, for taking some decisions in the political interest of the party. One of such, (as claimed by the NDC) was the President’s decision to lift the three week lockdown at a time when it was absolutely needless, considering the fact that we were recording higher figures of the novel coronavirus.

    The decision to call off the partial lock down had a wrong timing as many Ghanaians felt the ruling party was exercising a high level of selfishness in its quest to compile a new voters register, a move met with great opposition.

    The opposition NDC have also been hitting hard at Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia for claiming the NPP and President Akufo-Addo were better managers of crisis than the NDC.

    In response to the claim, ex-President Mahama said, “From 3,091 to 4,012 COVID19 cases within 24 hours; Government is certainly failing the people of Ghana. Fear gripped many homes last night when the latest confirmed cases were released.”

    One other political figure who has kept the criticisms coming is Mr. Asiedu Nketiah, General Secretary of the NDC. He believes the Nana Addo-led government is being “untruthful” to Ghanaians. According to him, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and some of his appointees were all exposed to the virus after their visit to Norway.

    He said, “We the NDC will not stop politicizing the issues until Nana Addo and his appointees are tested and make public their result just as other leaders in the world are doing. They are all exposed to the virus…the government cannot say our first case was recorded on March 12th.”

    Meanwhile, Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, has admitted that the nation stands a real risk of losing focus and degenerating into partisan political banter while the real key issue of managing the pandemic is relegated to the background.

    By; Satsyi Esene Courage

  • Ten cell inmates at Tema test positive for COVID-19

    Ten inmates in the Tema metropolis have tested positive for the Coronavirus disease [COVID-19].

    Tema Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Edward Johnson Akrofi-Oyirifi, made the disclosure on the sidelines of a disinfection and fumigation exercise which took place in the regional command on Thursday, May 21, 2020.

    According to him, of the ten COVID-19 inmates, nine were from Ashaiman cells while one was recorded in a cell in Kpone.

    However, he said none of the police personnel in Tema has tested positive for the disease so far.

    “Thankfully, all the other inmates who were in the cells with these COVID-19 inmates have tested negative, and have thus been transported to the Ankaful Prisons,” the Regional Commander said.

    DCOP Akrofi-Oyirifi further indicated that, to ensure the safety of these COVID-19 inmates, his outfit has moved motions at the courts for them to be isolated and treated.

    On social and physical distancing in the cells, he stated that the inmates were more protected in the cells.

    This, he said, was because by confining them in the cells they were not exposed to the rest of the population.

    “So I think that even they being in the cells was better for them because, then they are isolated and quarantined from the rest of the Ghanaian population,” he opined.

    The Tema Regional Police Commander used the opportunity to praise his officers who were deployed during the partial lockdown.

    “Our personnel in the deployment during the partial lockdown were always brave to educate people who were commuting to Tema and its environs. And, I must say that they were professional in dealing with the lockdown directives,” he gladly expressed.

    In this regard, DCOP Akrofi-Oyirifi gave an assurance that his officers remained resolute in the fight against the global pandemic.

    The Regional Security Council was collaborating with the metropolitan assemblies to enforce the “No Face Mask, No Entry” directive in Tema to ensure that the virus is contained, he said.

    “We also have officers who regularly patrol the region to make sure that residents, factories, pharmacy shops among others were strictly adhering to the COVID-19 preventive protocols,” he added.

    According to him, the exercise, which is a collaboration between the Ghana Police Service and Zoomlion Ghana Limited, will cover four divisions and fourteen districts in the Tema enclave.

    He said it will include the disinfection of police stations, cells, offices, and barracks under the above jurisdictions.

    “They have started with the regional headquarters and from here they will be moving to the various divisions,” he noted.

    Zoomlion Regional Manager, Tema, Seth Appiah, explained that the exercise was a collaboration between his outfit and the Ghana Police Service.

    According to him, the Tema police have been very cooperative in the discharge of their work.

    For the disinfection and fumigation of Tema police facilities, he discloses that they have deployed twenty workers for the exercise

    Source: citinewsroom.com

  • COVID-19: Its too early to start discussing new normal life Biostatistician

    Dr. Duah Dwomoh, a biostatistician believes it is too early for Ghana to resign itself for life with the novel coronavirus.

    On Eyewitness News, he said the government does not have the requisite analytical backing to such sentiments based on the daily distribution of cases in Ghana.

    “I do not know the data set on what they are making the decision on but if you really want to look at the available data, then I think it is too early for us to be looking at going on that tangent.”

    Most recently, the Information Minister said it would soon be time for dialogue on how to adjust life with the virus in the global ecosystem.

    President Nana Akufo-Addo has also advised Ghanaians adjust to living with the novel coronavirus following indications from the science community that the disease will be around for a long while.

    But before such conclusions are made, Dr. Dwomoh explained that Ghana at least needed to understand the rate at which the virus was spreading.

    “When the basic effective reproduction is greater than one then you are in an epidemic situation so you put in an intervention to reduce the basic reproduction number to below one… Before you say that you are going to live with the COVID-19, then you need that data set. You have to analyse and do your simulation and get that basic reproduction number.”

    Mr. Dwomoh is of the view that with the right interventions, Ghana could be on the path to becoming coronavirus-free like Eritrea, among others.

    “Once your basic reproduction number is equal to one then you are projecting into an endemic situation but if the basic reproduction number is below one, then we are in a position to eliminate COVID-19 altogether.”

    There is currently a ban on public gatherings set to run until at least the end of May 2020.

    Source: citinewsroom.com

  • Accra tops coronavirus deaths

    The Greater Accra Region is leading in the number of recorded Covid-19 deaths.

    The region has so far accounted for 20 out of the 31 Covid-19 deaths recorded in Ghana.

    Director-General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) Dr Patrick Kuma Aboagye disclosed this at the May 21, Covid-19 press briefing in Accra.

    Giving further details on the death toll, Dr Aboagye said 17 of the Covid-19 patients who died were males while 14 were females.

    “28 of the patients had commorbidities, ” he said.

    He said the Service has so far managed 114 of the cases in Intensive Care Unit (ICU) out of which six passed.

    “We have 8 patients in ICU now, four at the University of Ghana Medical Centre, two in the Ga East Hospital and two at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH), ” he said.

    None of the patients in the ICUs are on ventilators, Dr Aboagye said.

    Ghana, as at May 21, has recorded 6,269 confirmed Covid-19 cases with 1,898 recoveries.

    Source: Daily Guide Network

  • New positive coronavirus cases and facility admissions declining

    Director-General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, on Thursday said there was evidence that new COVID-19 positive cases and facility admissions were gradually declining.

    According to him, about 11 out of the 16 regions have not recorded any new infections since the country’s last update.

    He explained that from the last update between May 18 and May 19, 2020, a total of 173 new cases of COVID-19 were recorded, of which the Greater Accra Region accounted for 46, Central-27, Eastern-6, Ashanti-35, and Western-57, leaving the remaining regions with no new records of infections.

    This, he said, brought Ghana’s cumulative number of COVID-19 count presently to 6,269, cases, out of which there were 31 fatalities, who were made up of 17 males and 14 females, with the Greater Accra Region alone recording 20 of the total number of deaths.

    Dr Kuma-Aboagye, giving an update on Ghana’s COVID-19 case count and management at the Ministry of Information’s midweek press briefing in Accra, stated that there were 144 more recoveries over the same period, bringing the current cumulative number to 1,898, an indication of a recovery rate of about 30.2 per cent, with only eight persons currently in critical condition.

    He said, Ghana did 187,929 tests from both routine surveillance, contact tracing on persons under mandatory quarantine in their first testing, and achieved 6,269 on a follow up testing of the total number, showing a positivity rate of 3.34 per cent.

    He said a large pool of people were currently still waiting for their second test results, which would mark their final certification of total recovery from the infection, and hoped that within the next few days the results would be released for them to be free.

    Dr Kuma-Aboagye said on case management, all the 16 regions had identified and set up isolation, quarantine and treatment facilities.

    He said there were a total of 71 treatment and isolation centres of which 50 were functional, as the other areas did not record any case.

    He said the largest isolation centre, which was the Pentecost Convention Centre had 251 persons there, which was a reduction from the over 450 that were recorded since the setup of the place for holding people who had tested positive to COVID-19.

    According to the Director-General, the number of admissions in all other isolation and quarantine centres at both regional and district levels, witnessed decreases in the past week, including; the initial total of 31 critical cases that were managed in various Intensive Care Units (ICU), where six persons with critical underlying conditions died.

    He said there were only eight persons still in the ICU; four of which were at the University of Ghana Medical Centre, and two each at the Ga East Municipal Hospital and the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, but the remaining 16 persons had already been discharged.

    The Director-General said, notwithstanding the slight decreases in the number of new positive cases, there were occasional increases in strategic areas such as; in the Obuasi, Tema and Bibiani incidences in the past two weeks.

    However, the GHS has strengthened its forces to be able to identify the hotspots and contain the situation, to present possible spread of the virus.

    Latest update

    As of Friday, May 22, 2020, the death toll remains at 31.

    The total active cases of COVID-19 in Ghana is now at 4,504.

    The Greater Accra region is still leading the chart with 4,699 cases, followed by the Ashanti region with 988 cases.

    The cases in the Western and Central regions has increased to 195 and 287 respectively.

    Savannah, Ahafo and Bono East regions remain the three regions out of the 16 regions in Ghana yet to record a case of the novel Coronavirus.

    Source: GNA

  • Ho Municipal Hospital shuts OPD for disinfection after two new coronavirus cases

    The Ho Municipal Hospital has recorded two cases of the Coronavirus disease, Dr. Lawrence Kumi, Medical Superintendent of the Hospital confirmed to the Ghana News Agency on Thursday.

    He said the two cases were detected through routine surveillance and that they were receiving care at the Volta Regional COVID19 isolation and treatment centre.

    Dr. Kumi said the Out Patient Department (OPD) and the Emergency Unit of the Hospital had been shutdown for disinfection.

    He said the OPD would be opened on Saturday, May 23, 2020 but the Emergency Unit would remain shut until the first week in June.

    The Medical Superintendent said some staff of the facility were asked to self-quarantine whilst they awaited test results.

    With the newly recorded cases, the Region’s case count jumps to 45 with 28 recoveries and two deaths.

    The Regional capital, Ho, now has eight COVID19 positive cases as of Thursday, May 21, 2020.

    Source: GNA

  • 10 inmates in Tema test positive for coronavirus

    Ten inmates in the Tema metropolis have tested positive for the COVID-19 disease.

    Tema Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Edward Johnson Akrofi-Oyirifi, made the disclosure on the sidelines of a disinfection and fumigation exercise which took place in the regional command on Thursday, May 21, 2020.

    According to him, of the ten COVID-19 inmates, nine were from Ashaiman cells while one was recorded in a cell in Kpone.

    However, he said none of the police personnel in Tema has tested positive for the disease so far.

    “Thankfully, all the other inmates who were in the cells with these COVID-19 inmates have tested negative, and have thus been transported to the Ankaful Prisons.”

    Source: Daily Guide Network

  • Eastern Region: Kwahu West, West Akim, Suhum record coronavirus cases, tally now 115

    Kwahu West, West Akim and Suhum Municipalities in the Eastern Region have recorded confirmed cases of Coronavirus .

    Nkawkaw the municipal Capital of Kwahu West has recorded 3 confirmed cases(1 of the patients is from Kumasi) while West Akim and Suhum have recorded a positive case each.

    Denkyembuor District on May 20,2020 also recorded four(4) new cases increasing the number to 12 in the district.

    The new confirmed cases have increased the Eastern Region case count to 115 as of May 21, 2020.

    Already Lower Manya Krobo has recorded 70 cases,Asuogyaman (12) , Akuapem North(8), Fanteakwa North (6) ,and Birim Central (2).

    Eighty-six(86) representing about 75% of the total case count have recovered in the region.

    COVID-19 cases in Ghana currently stand at 6,269 after 173 new cases were recorded. The Ghana Health Service has announced Thursday May 20,2020.

    Also,125 more recoveries have been confirmed increasing the total number of recoveries to 1,898.

    The death toll still stands at 31.

    Source: ghanaweb.com

  • UPEC joins coronavirus fight in Upper East Region

    Recorded cases of COVID-19 in the Upper East Region has prompted the Upper East Community (UPEC) living in North America to present medical and non-medical consumables to the Ghana Health Service (GHS) in the Region to combat the pandemic.

    The items included; 100 packets of examination gloves, 50 packets of respirators, 30 pieces of face shields, one infrared thermometer and 10 gallons of alcohol based hand sanitizers.

    Mr Donald Adabere, a former Upper East Regional Minister who presented the items, and delivered a speech on behalf of the UPEC, said the Association was formed in 2012 as “a non-profit, non-political and non-sectarian grouping of people descending from the Upper East Region and resident in North America.”

    He said the group saw the need to form a common forum to deliberate on matters of concern to the welfare of members and mobilize resources for charitable work to support the development needs of the Region.

    Mr Adabere said the group had membership of 130 people originally from the Sandema, Navrongo, Bolgatanga, Bongo, Tongo, Nangodi, Zebilla, and Bawku areas of the Region.

    “The Association is a member of the National Council of Ghanaian Associations in New York and has been the mouthpiece for our people, representing our culture and traditions. With the dawn of UPEC, we are now able to organize befitting ceremonies to bury our dead and celebrate life events affecting our members in our traditional way,” he said.

    According to members of the UPEC, the fighting of COVID-19 was not only for government, and therefore “UPEC members decided to contribute their quota to help in the fight. Voluntary contributions from members for COVID-19 project yielded $6,000, all of which were directed towards fighting the virus in the Region.”

    Receiving the items for onward delivery to the GHS in the Region, Madam Tangoba Abayage, Upper East Regional Minister thanked them for the support. She said the impact of COVID-19 was hard on economies across the world, and was fast depleting the economies of developing countries like Ghana. The Minister said businesses were not booming as they used to, “The total Ghanaian economy is under serious stray and stress”.

    According to a situational report dated May 6, 2020, from the GHS, the Region has recorded 26 COVID-19 cases and two deaths.

    The Bolgatanga Municipality is leading with 18 cases, while the other eight cases are distributed among some of the 14 Municipalities and Districts in the region.

    Results of 56 samples are still pending.

    Source: GNA

  • Coronavirus has shown why access to healthcare is a human right Mahama

    Former President John Dramani Mahama believes the Coronavirus pandemic is a timely reminder that every country needs to have a strong healthcare system.

    According to him, access to healthcare is a human right and the government must prioritise the construction of well-equipped health facilities.

    In a Facebook post on Thursday, Mahama said such a move would make it easier for every Ghanaian to have access to quality healthcare.

    The outbreak of #COVID19 has demonstrated yet again that a strong healthcare system is vital for any country. Access to healthcare is a human right!” Mahama wrote.

    “We have to develop telemedicine tools to support the construction and provision of modern and well-equipped health facilities across the country.

    “This will make it easier for every Ghanaian to access quality healthcare. Together, we will build a future.”

    The National Democratic Congress (NDC) flagbearer has previously criticised the Akufo-Addo government for abandoning projects started by his administration.

    Meanwhile, President Akufo-Addo has promised to construct 88 new hospitals in the 88 districts to boost health delivery across the country.

    The President said 10 hospitals will be built in the Ashanti region, nine in the Volta region, nine in the Central region, eight in the Eastern region and seven in the Greater Accra region.

    Also, seven of the hospitals will be built in Upper East, five each in the Northern, Oti, Upper West and the Bono regions, while four will be built in the Western North and Western regions.

    Meanwhile, the Ahafo and Savannah regions will have three district hospitals, two in Bono East, and two more in North East Regions.

    Source: pulse.com.gh

  • Three institutions support local authorities to fight coronavirus

    Health Directorates in five assemblies have taken delivery of personal protective equipment (PPE) to be distributed to health facilities in their jurisdictions to enhance their work during this era of COVID-19.

    The items, which included; hand sanitizers, examination gloves, gallons of liquid soap, veronica buckets, and surgical nose masks were valued at GHc12,550 for each item for the beneficiary Health Directorates in the Saboba, Karaga, Kumbungu, Mion and Savelugu Assemblies in the Northern Region.

    The partners of the Empowerment for Life Programme (E4L), which included; the Ghana Developing Communities Association and Youth Empowerment for Life Ghana, and their Danish partner, Ghana Friends presented the items to the Health Directorates to reaffirm their commitment to stand by local communities, especially in the period of COVID-19.

    Officers of the E4L Programme presented the items to the beneficiary Health Directorates through the authorities of their various Assemblies within their jurisdictions.

    Mr Mohammed Abdul-Jabaru, Programme Manager of E4L Programme, who briefed the GNA about the intervention, said “In the coming days, the partners will support district offices of the National Commission for Civic Education and the Information Services Department in the Saboba, Karaga, Kumbungu, Mion and Savelugu Assemblies with resources to carry out community sensitization on the disease.”

    Mr Abdul-Jabaru said a similar gesture would be extended to the Ghana Health Service to intensify its community outreach programmes and the periodic meetings of the COVID-19 Emergency Response Committees in the districts.

    The E4L Programme is funded by Civil Society In Development through Ghana Friends, both in Denmark.

    Source: GNA

  • Coronavirus: Kwabre-East strengthens measures to reduce spread

    The Kwabre-East Municipal Assembly has put in place measures to ensure the compliance of all preventive protocols to reduce the spread of covid-19 in the municipality.

    Nana Osei Assibey Bonsu, Municipal Chief Executive told the Ghana News Agency in an interview at Mamponteng that, the covid-19 infection rate in the municipality, which was the second, in the Ashanti region, had reduced drastically, as a result of the stringent measures put in place to stop the spread.

    He said the Municipal Emergency Response Team together with the security agencies worked to ensure that residents adhered strictly to all the preventive protocols outlined by the government and the Ghana health Service.

    To further strengthen enforcement of the preventive protocols, checks points were set up in all entry routes to ensure that people wore nose masks and kept the social distancing protocols.

    Nana Assibey Bonsu said recalcitrant people who went contrary to the protocols would be arrested and made to face the law.

    He appealed to market women to observe the social distancing protocols to ensure their safety and their customers.

    The MCE also advised the youth who have been playing football to desist from the act and obey simple directives to stay safe of the disease.

    He said security patrols were going to be strengthened in all the communities to ensure total compliance of all the protocols to further reduce the rate of infections in the municipality.

    Source: GNA

  • Coronavirus: This is not the time to be complacent

    Despite the low fatality rate in positive cases of the Coronavirus pandemic, some Ghanaians believe we are not close to moments of being complacent as there is more work to be done.

    A student of the Ghana Institute of Journalism and a woman activist, Samira Mohammed IBN Moro shared her views by saying, “Complacency is the mother of all failures and retrogression. Our low fatality rate should be more of an inspiration to Government, frontline workers and the Citizenry at large.”

    She also added that, we should be challenged to be more cautious so as to prevent an escalation of deaths from COVID-19.

    According to Bright Nimo Brobbey, Ghana’s low fatality rate as compared to other countries across the world in the fight against Covid-19 is quite encouraging but this should not be the time our leaders rest on their laurels.

    “I think Ghana should intensify its fight against the virus. The W.H.O makes it clear that countries who became complacent in the fight against COVID-19 are now having to deal with more severe cases. Being complacent will only lead to more and adverse cases of the virus which we stand to fight.”

    Smart Takyi Nixon also spoke against Ghana being complacent. According to him, we are still recording more numbers in the Accra Metropolis and that tells on the nature of our porous community structures and town planning. He said the way our markets are built are fertile grounds for infection spread. Compound houses with shared sanitary facilities even make it worse. Non-adherence to safety protocols especially on the wearing of face masks and social distancing, make our situation even worse.

    “We see people seated together, we see people not taking into consideration some of the necessary things that will actually shield us from this pandemic. Is this what we want to be complacent about as a country?” He asked.

    Nixon continued: “I think it’s a little premature to state categorically that Ghana is doing poorly or Ghana is doing well based on the statistics available to us. So we may as well study the situation for some time. I also think that we still need to give the country about a month more to really have a grasp on what is happening.”

    “Even though we might think there is some education going on, people are not really adhering to the protocols. We still have to keep our eyes open to see where exactly the issue is coming from.”

    Sylvester Kwofie Essuah shares his opinion saying, “I don’t think we should be complacent because we have seen other countries record high death rates and the number keeps increasing. We are just fortunate in this aspect where our fatality rate is low.”

    According to him, instead of being complacent, we should double efforts work to combat the virus.

     

    (more…)

  • Coronavirus: the impact on religious gatherings- Ghanaians share their thoughts

    A cross section of Ghanaians have shared their views on the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic on the Church and other religious gatherings.

    Whiles other claim it has had a negative impact due to the cost of running service via digital channels, others also believe COVID-19 has come to make churches and other religious leaders creative and innovative.

    Smart Takyi Nixon, a Ghanaian citizen said, when it emerged that all churches had to change their mode of operation, they had to look at other ways to reach their members.

    According to him, COVID-19 has caused churches which hitherto, did not have social media handles, now jumping on to the social media wagon. Churches continue to introduce short codes, advising members to give offerings via mobile money.

    Takyi Nixon stated that some Pastors allegedly preached against social media, claiming it is an evil platform. If one were to go by that argument, then social media has become a necessary evil in these unprecedented times.

    “For me, the impact has been great with most churches going digital with their presence on social media. It is making the churches very innovative and inventive.”

    Bright Nimo Brobbey told The Independent, the period has brought incredible cost to churches and members alike. He said operational costs and cost of purchasing internet data to access these channels have become huge burdens.

    “It is really expensive in our country, so how could COVID-19 be doing the church and other religious gatherings any good?” He asked.

    According to Sylvester Kwofie Essuah, “the whole world is fighting this common enemy called Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) and in Ghana specifically, I think it has had a big impact on the church and other religious activities. Personally, I don’t feel it’s a big deal because a lot of churches have been very innovative this time around where most of them have inculcated social media and technological instruments in conducting church services. The only difference here is that they are not meeting under one big roof.”

    Source: Akaboh Courage | backend.theindependentghana.com

  • 10 inmates at Police Station in Tema test positive for Coronavirus

    Ten inmates in Police cells in the Tema metropolis have tested positive for the COVID-19.

    Tema Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Edward Johnson Akrofi-Oyirifi, made the disclosure on the sidelines of a disinfection and fumigation exercise which took place in the regional command on Thursday (May 21, 2020).

    According to him, of the ten COVID-19 inmates, nine were from Ashaiman cells while one was recorded in a cell in Kpone.

    However, he said none of the police personnel in Tema has tested positive for the disease so far.

    “Thankfully, all the other inmates who were in the cells with these Covid-19 inmates have tested negative, and have thus been transported to the Ankaful Prisons,” the regional commander revealed.

    DCOP Akrofi-Oyirifi further indicated that to ensure the safety of these Covid-19 inmates, his outfit has moved motions at the courts for them to be isolated and treated.

    On social distancing in the cells, he stated that the inmates were more protected in the cells.

    This, he said, was because by confining them in the cells they were not exposed to the rest of the population.

    “So I think that even they being in the cells was better for them because then they are isolated and quarantined from the rest of the Ghanaian population,” he opined.

    The Tema regional police commander used the opportunity to praise his officers who were deployed during the partial lockdown.

    “Our personnel in the deployment during the partial lockdown were always brave to educate people who were commuting to Tema and its environs. And, I must say that they were professional in dealing with the lockdown directives,” he gladly expressed.

    In this regard, DCOP Akrofi-Oyirifi gave an assurance that his officers remained resolute in the fight against the global pandemic.

    The Regional Security Council was collaborating with the metropolitan assemblies to enforce the “No Face Mask, No Entry” directive in Tema to ensure that the virus is contained, he said.

    “We also have officers who regularly patrol the region to make sure that residents, factories, pharmacy shops among others were strictly adhering to the Covid-19 preventive protocols,” he added.

    According to him, the exercise, which is a collaboration between the Ghana Police Service and Zoomlion Ghana Limited, will cover four divisions and fourteen districts in the Tema enclave.

    He said it will include the disinfection of police stations, cells, offices and barracks under the above jurisdictions.

    “They have started with the regional headquarters and from here they will be moving to the various divisions,” he noted.

    Zoomlion Regional Manager, Tema, Seth Appiah, explained that the exercise was a collaboration between his outfit and the Ghana Police Service.

    According to him, the Tema police have been very cooperative in the discharge of their work.

    For the disinfection and fumigation of Tema police facilities, he disclosed that they have deployed twenty workers for the exercise.

    Source: Starr FM

  • Fight coronavirus, Climate Change simultaneously IES

    Climate Change poses the same threats on the economy just as the Coronavirus pandemic, hence the two must be dealt at the same time, the Institute of Energy Security (IES), has said.

    A statement by the IES said on Thursday May 21 that governments around the world are saddled with the huge task even now and after the pandemic have been brought under control, to rescue their economies and the global economy from recession, and produce measures that can ensure a more resilient and effective responses in the future.

    While Governments takes extreme measures to limit both human cost and economic disruption attributed to the virus, now and the future, the IES said, they must be mindful that the lockdowns and distancing may not necessarily be able to save the world from warming, and that there is a climate crisis.

    “The world therefore has one opportunity to fight two crisis simultaneously to save future troubles, and build a better future.

    “Even as we count the human losses from COVID-19, we must also pause and remind ourselves that there are both financial and human losses attributed to climate change too.,” it said.

    The statement explained that the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has become one of the biggest threats to the global economy and financial markets.

    The effect has already been felt in a wide range of energy markets, including coal and gas but its impact on oil markets is exceptionally grave due to the constraint on people and goods from moving around, thus heavily impacting transport fuels demand. This may predominantly real in China, the largest energy consumer in the world, which the Energy Information Administration (EIA) says accounted for more than 80 percent of global oil demand growth last year.

    The International Energy Agency (IEA) in its latest oil market forecast suggests that global oil demand in 2020 has dropped around 90,000 barrels a day from 2019; against a February forecast, which predicted global oil demand would grow by 825,000 barrels a day in 2020. Also the price of oil is down by over 58 percent this year, on the back of what Rystad Energy sees as lower oil demand and slower expected economic growth.

    Aside the energy market, the pandemic is having a damaging economic and business impact, affecting everything from tourism to the supply of parts to the automotive and technology industries.

    Source: laudbusiness.com

  • Coronavirus: Businesses with over 99 staff not qualified for GH¢600m soft loan NBSSI

    Chief Executive Officer of the National Board for Small Scale Industries (NBSSI) Kosi Yankey Ayeh says businesses with over 99 staff are not eligible for the GH¢600m stimulus package.

    She made these clarifications on Thursday, May 21, 2020 while updating participants on COVID-19 alleviation program at the Ministry of Information press briefing.

    Speaking at the event, NBSSI boss Kosi Yankey Ayeh said, “Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) as defined by the Ministry Of Trade And Industries are Micro is 1 to 5 staff, Small is 6 to 29 staff, Medium is 30 to 99 staff. Businesses outside this range of staff do not qualify to apply.”

    “We have been able to launch the technology allowing MSMEs to apply. The target beneficiaries continue to be the Micro Small and Medium Enterprises who have been negatively affected by the coronavirus pandemic. As well as those producing goods and services that will help in fighting coronavirus”, she indicated.

    Applications from businesses, Madam Yankey, noted, would be processed through an online portal which has been launched already.

    President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Wednesday, May 20, 2020, launched a GH¢600 million Coronavirus Alleviation Programme (CAP) business support scheme intended to support small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) impacted by the novel coronavirus.

    The fund is intended to provide relief to SMEs across the country that has been negatively affected by the disease.

    In his fifth televised address to the nation, the President announced that the government has partnered with the private sector to introduce a scheme in support of SMEs which were facing challenges owing to COVID-19.

    Several platforms including nbssi.gov.gh/capsupport; mobile number platform (USSD) *718*555#; Call Centre Helpline: 030 274 7777, email address capsupport@nbssi.gov.gh have been made available to ensure access.

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • Coronavirus: Interest rate on GH¢600m stimulus package reduced to 3%

    The interest rate on the government’s 600m stimulus package for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) has been reviewed from 5 to 3 percent.

    This information was revealed on Thursday, May 21, 2020 when the National Board for Small Scale Industries (NBSSI) was giving updates on COVID-19 alleviation program at the Ministry of Information press briefing.

    Addressing the press, the Chief Executive Officer of NBSSI Kosi Yankey Ayeh said after stakeholder deliberations, the 5 percent interest rate was reduced to 3.

    “After deliberations with the president, finance ministry and the industry. After conducting a survey of about 1700 MSMEs in Ghana, initially we had suggested 5 percent but the president in consultation with the team decided to review that interest rate due to the plight of the Ghanaian MSMEs at a time such as this, to 3 percent.”

    She however noted that the one-year moratorium remains unchanged and “businesses have the option to ensure that they choose a moratorium that works best for them.”

    The NBSSI boss also indicated that businesses with over 99 staff are not eligible for the GH¢600m stimulus package.

    President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Wednesday, May 20, 2020, launched a GH¢600 million Coronavirus Alleviation Programme (CAP) business support scheme intended to support small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) impacted by the novel coronavirus.

    The fund is intended to provide relief to SMEs across the country that has been negatively affected by the disease.

    The SME sector, according to the University of Ghana study in 2015, contributes about 70 per cent to Ghana’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and accounts for about 92 per cent of businesses in the country.

    Several platforms including nbssi.gov.gh/capsupport; mobile number platform (USSD) *718*555#; Call Centre Helpline: 030 274 7777, email address capsupport@nbssi.gov.gh have been made available to ensure access.

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • Fee waiver for digital banking transactions extended to June 20

    The Ghana Association of Bankers (GAB) and the Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement Systems (GhIPSS) have agreed to suspend charges on digital banking platforms until June 20, 2020.

    The waiver of fees, which took effect on March 23, 2020 was part of measures put in place to encourage customers to use digital payment alternatives or transactions and reduce contacts with banknotes to avoid the possible spread of the novel Coronavirus disease.

    A statement released by the Ghana Association of Bankers said, “We, therefore, encourage all our customers to continue using our alternate digital banking platforms and visit physical branches of Banks only when it is absolutely important and necessary to do so.”

    Initially, there were controversies between the two bodies on the resumption of fees on the GhIPSS Instant Pay (GIP), Mobile Money Interoperability (MMI) and ACH Direct Credit.

    The disagreements in re-introducing scrapped charges on digital transactions occurred after GhIPPS directed financial institutions to end the fee waiver granted to customers who use these services.

    “Following a review of financial position, we have decided we are unable to sustain the fee waiver regime any further and will re-instate all transaction fees with effect from May 23, 2020,” GhIPSS said.

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • 43 health workers in Western Region test positive for Coronavirus

    Forty-three health workers in the Western Region have tested positive for COVID-19.

    Twenty of the cases are from the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital in Sekondi-Takoradi while 23 others are from the Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipality.

    Citi News sources indicate that the confirmed cases at the Effia-Nkwanta Hospital are contacts traced from a staff of the hospital who earlier tested positive for COVID-19.

    According to the Effia-Nkwanta hospital, a number of measures have been put in place to protect other health workers from contracting the virus.

    Meanwhile, three units of the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital were closed down after a staff member tested positive for COVID-19 on May 15, 2020.

    The Antenatal Care Unit, Child Welfare Clinic, and the Ear Nose and Throat Unit in the hospital were disinfected among other measures to contain the infection.

    The Medical Director of the Hospital, Dr Joseph Kojo Tambil, who confirmed the news said the infected staff were isolated and all other contacts asked to self-quarantine as their samples are being tested.

    Dr Tambil revealed that the infected staff member had spent some time at different units of the hospital and as such, staff members in that department have been asked to self-quarantine as well.

    “One of our staff who had mild symptoms got tested and her results came out positive. So we quickly started taking samples of people that she works with and since she was working at the Antenatal Clinic, we had to take samples of all the staff. She also spent some time at the ENT Department so we also closed down that department and took samples of the staff.”

    The Effia-Nkwanta Hospital in the Western Region is the main referral hospital in the Western Region of Ghana.

    So far, the Western Region has recorded a total of 170 positive cases of COVID-19.

     

    Source: citinewsroom 

  • Covid-19 case count in Volta Region rises to 41, Ho Teaching Hospital staff among new cases

    The Volta Region has witnessed an increase in positive coronavirus case counts from 34 to 41.

    A female health worker stationed at the theatre department of the Ho Teaching Hospital is reported to be among the seven new cases recorded.

    She tested positive for the virus after her sample was sent to the University of Health and Allied Sciences in Ho.

    She reported at the Accident and Emergency Department of the Hospital with symptoms of flu and slight sore throat.

    This informed a decision by the HTH administration to temporally shut down the theatre for disinfection. While three other colleagues who work with the infected staff were directed to self-quarantine.

    Reports indicated the infected staff had no contact with a patient who died few days after testing positive for coronavirus, leading to the disinfection of the Accident and Emergency Department and quarantine of some 39 staff who participated in treating the deceased.

    The Public Relations officer of HTH, Amos Jah who confirmed the news indicated the infected staff is “responding to treatment”, adding the theatre would be opened for operations on Tuesday.

    However, there is fear and panic among staffs at the theatre, hence, their plea on management to suspend elective surgeries to help prevent a possible spread of the virus at the facility.

    Meanwhile, the Hohoe municipality has recorded three more cases, while Akatsi South District, Ketu South and Kpando Municipalities recorded a case each.

    A case earlier recorded in the Kpando Municipality resulted in a fatality being the second COVID-19 death in the Volta Region.

    However, 28 infected persons have fully recovered and discharged from the isolation centre, pegging active cases at 11.

     

    Source: myjoyonline 

  • Covid-19: The Church of Pentecost deserves our praise

    When by the grace of God this Covid-19 pandemic passes in the words of the President of the Republic, many institutions and individuals would have earned the respect of Ghanaians.

    Obviously, these institutions include the health profession who like soldiers in a battlefield are willing to sacrifice themselves for the collective good of the people. They deserve our support. Other institutions such as the media, Security Services, the Ghana Armed Forces, State institutions, the Opposition Party and the Private Sector will all have their names written in gold for standing up to the fight when it mattered most.

    The Church and the Mosque will also be remembered for their sacrifices, prayers and logistical and financial support to the destitute and the underprivileged individuals in our society. They also deserve a pat on the back.

    But whilst we appreciate the religious bodies too for their role in the fight against Covid-19, I think it is important to recognize the yeoman and the frontal role played by the Church of Pentecost in this whole fight against Covid-19. Conscious of the relationship between the church and the state, the Church of Pentecost was among the first batch of donors to the State as far as the fight against Covid-19 is concerned.

    First, they donated, a fleet of cars to the government to be used as operational vehicles in the fight against the Coronavirus. As though that was not enough, they released to the State their prayer facility at Gomoa Fetteh near Kasoa in the Central Region as an isolation centre for Covid-19 patients.  I am told they also made a cash donation to the Covid-19 Fund.

    Although unrelated to the fight against Covid-19, the Church was earlier involved in a national clean- up exercise during when all their branches in Ghana were asked to clean markets, lorry parks and some strategic places.

    The Church also partnered with the Ghana Prison Service to construct a number of prisons in the country as a way of decongesting our congested prisons. As a further proof her Corporate Social Responsibility, the Church also put up some Police Stations which it had since handed over to the Ghana Police Service.

    Although the execution of these commendable feats is not unique to the Church of Pentecost as other Churches such as the Catholic Church, ICGC to mention but a few and the Moslem Community are also involved in doing some of these things, the consistency with which the Church of Pentecost carries out these social responsibilities is worthy of commendation and recognition.

    I am not a member of the Church, but I have observed how practical they have made the Christian faith. I have observed how willing they are to collaborate with the State for the good of the country. At a time when eyes are on the Church in particular for allegations of extortion, lack of care for the poor and cult worship, the good examples of the Church of Pentecost are worth highlighting. It shows how relevant the Church/Mosque is in national development. It reinforces the Orthodox Churches of old which were involved in the provision of schools, health facilities, agriculture and skills training.

    If I have my way, I will ungrudgingly declare the Church of Pentecost as the Most Corporate Social Responsibility conscious religious body in Ghana. Like our health care workers who are deserving of the Order of the Volta recognition, the Church of Pentecost also deserves such recognition after all is done. I sincerely encourage the Church to continue with the good deeds in line with their calling.  After all, the Church does not only exist to take care of the spiritual needs of members. Jesus Christ proved that by feeding five thousand people with five loaves of bread and two fishes.

    Ayekoo to all Churches and the Moslem Community who are supportive of the fight against Covid-19.

    The writer, Gborse Nicholas Mawunyah, is a writer and conference speaker on topical issues in education, political-history, school leadership and innovations. You can contact him via gborsenicholasm@gmail.com

    Disclaimer : “Opinions expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author(s) and do not in any way reflect those of backend.theindependentghana.com. Our outfit will hereby not be liable for any inaccuracies contained in this article.”

     

     

  • NBSSI outlines categories of qualified MSMEs to receive GH¢600m stimulus

    The National Board for Small Scale Industries (NBSSI), has outlined the categories of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), which qualify to benefit from the Coronavirus Alleviation Programme (CAP) Business Support Scheme.

    Mrs Kosi A. Yankey-Ayeh, Executive Director, NBSSI, said MSMEs, which qualified for the CAP Business Support Scheme were micro-enterprises with one to five employees, small enterprises with six 29 employees and medium enterprises with 30 to 99 employees.

    “Anyone who falls outside of the 99 employees is not qualified for this loan, the President has another initiative for larger businesses,” Mrs Yankey-Ayeh, said on Thursday when she took her turn at the meet the press engagement to give an update on the CAP Business Support Scheme.

    The CAP Business Support Scheme was launched on Tuesday, May 19 at the Jubilee House by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, as part of measures to effectively manage the social and economic recovery of the country.

    Mrs Yankey-Ayeh said the two products designed under the Scheme was the Adom loans and Anidasuo loans; explaining that “because we believe this Scheme is to bring hope to MSMEs in times like this when the Coronavirus Pandemic has caused an economic downturn”.

    She said the GH¢600 million was what the President had initially committed to support MSMEs to grow and sustain their businesses but through stakeholder engagements and support from Participating Financial Institutions (PFIs), the commitment had increased to GH¢ one billion; stating that GH¢400 million was added by PFIs as a commitment to support the fight and to strengthen MSMEs.

    She said after the launch on Tuesday, the application portal was opened on Wednesday to allow MSMEs to apply.

    “The target beneficiaries remain MSMEs who have been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 Pandemic, also businesses that are producing goods and providing services that will support the fight against COVID-19,” she said.

    Mrs Yankey-Ayeh said the interest rate which was five per cent was reduced to three per cent after deliberation by the President, Ministry of Finance (MoF) and Ministry of Trade and Industry (MoTI) to reduce the plight of the MSMEs in this difficult time.

    She noted that the moratorium still remains up to one year and during the application process, MSMEs have the option to select a moratorium that would work best for them; saying that “repayment of loans remain two to three years; this was taken into consideration based on MSMEs needs assessment”.

    The Executive Director said some challenges that had come out since the launch had been USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data) timeout during registration.

    She said it was important to note that the USSD Code was a short process and applicants need to be efficient in completing registration; “This is also caused by network challenges.

    This challenge notwithstanding we have worked to ensure we have an efficient USSD registration process.”

    She said they have also set-up a Grievance Center to work on the challenges Ghanaians meet on the portal.

    “As of yesterday, we had received over 1000 calls with people asking how they can access the platform and how to apply and to address some challenges they meet,” she said.

    “The good news is that about 5000 plus applicants registered as at yesterday and are waiting to go on to the next step of the application process”.

    She said if any MSMEs had any challenge in applying they should not hesitate to reach out to NBSSI, to ensure they provide the best service and efficient system that would withstand the test of time and could also be used in the near future.

     

    Source: GNA

  • Police commended for role in COVID-19 fight

    Personnel of the Ghana Police Service (GPS) have been commended for the various roles they are playing in ensuring the safety of Ghanaians and the enforcement of the restrictions imposed to contain the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in the country.

    The Chief Director of the Northern Regional Coordinating Council (NORCC), Alhaji Alhassan Issahaku, who gave the commendation, said personnel of the service had played critical roles since Ghana recorded its first case of COVID-19 and their contribution towards the fight against the pandemic needed to be recognised.

    Exercise

    Alhaji Issahaku was speaking at the start of the fumigation and disinfection exercise of all police facilities across the Northern, Savannah and North East regions that began at the Northern Regional Police Headquarters in Tamale on Wednesday, May 20, 2020.

    The exercise formed part of measures put in place by the government to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the country.

    The exercise being undertaken by Zoomlion Ghana Limited, a waste management company, will see all police stations, offices and cells disinfected, while barracks will be fumigated to get rid of all insects, rodents and other micro-organisms likely to spread the virus.

    Alhaji Issahaku, who represented the Northern Regional Minister and Chairman of the Regional Security Council (RCC), Mr Salifu Saeed, said the exercise was to step up efforts to prevent the spread of the virus and to recognise the important role the security agencies had played so far towards the fight against the pandemic.

    Commendation

    The Northern Regional Police Commander, Commissioner of Police (COP) Mr Timothy Y. Bonga, welcomed the exercise and expressed his appreciation to Zoomlion for undertaking such an exercise.

    “We are one of the agencies that are so much involved in trying to make sure that people are safe and secure against this COVID-19 pandemic, and so our people need to be very strong to be able to ensure that they carry out their legitimate duties of enforcing the restrictions to ensure that we are all safe,” he stated.

    COP Bonga thanked the Police Administration and the government for making their facilities safe so that they could work to deliver what was expected of them.

    He urged all residents of the region to continue to abide by the safety protocols and the restrictions, saying “when we come after you for violating the restrictions, it is not that we hate you but because we love you and want you to stay alive and contribute your quota to the development of this country”.

    The General Manager of Savanna Waste Limited, a subsidiary of Zoomlion, Mr Peter Dawuni, said their doors were open to all individuals and corporate organisations that wanted to disinfect their homes and premises against the spread of COVID-19.

    Accra disinfection

    Meanwhile, the General Manager of Zoomlion Ghana Limited, Mr Morgan Acquah, said the company would complete the disinfection of all 105 police facilities in the Greater Accra Region by next week Thursday.

    He said the exercise was key to ensuring the safety of people who visited the police stations.

    Mr Acquah said this when ZGL disinfected the Dansoman, Mamprobi and Korle Bu police stations in Accra yesterday.

    It saw the disinfection of counters, cells and offices, among other places.

    He said the chemical being used, chlorine, was safe and not harmful to humans.

    At the three police stations, the district commanders — Chief Superintendent Daniel Jeffery Darko, Cephas Arthur and DSP Cephas Edjeani, commended Zoomlion for undertaking the exercise, adding that it would go a long way to ensure the safety of personnel and visitors.

    In addition to adhering to all the protocols, they said they had put in place measures to ensure social distancing at the various cells by reducing the number of inmates.

    According to them, only persons who had engaged in serious offences were kept in the cells.

     

    Source: Graphic.com.gh

  • Coronavirus: Obuasi residents shy away from testing

    Residents of Obuasi and its surrounding towns in the Ashanti Region are living in fear as they are facing stigma and discrimination from the coronavirus (COVID-19).

    The Ghana Health Service (GHS) says residents of Obuasi and its surrounding towns in the Ashanti Region are scared of availing themselves for COVID-19 testing because of the fear of being stigmatised and discriminated against by society.

    Ashanti Regional Director of the GHS, Dr Emmanuel Tenkorang, who disclosed this at a press briefing here, on Wednesday, said “if this persists, it is going to be very difficult to achieve results.”

    He stated that, new infected cases were going down in Obuasi two weeks after the area was reported to be leading in confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Ashanti Region.

    Following this, the Central Business District of Obuasi was closed down to enable management to execute a well-planned shift system to control the spread of COVID-19 in the area.

    Overall, Obuasi has recorded 587 COVID-19 cases with Obuasi Municipal recording 381 cases and Obuasi East recording 208 cases as of May 20, 2020.

    Dr Tenkorang stated that, the total confirmed cases in the region have increased to 886 with a total of seven deaths while 15 people were currently on admission and 75 people in isolation.

    According to him, the number of recorded new infections in the region have reduced, as 139 confirmed cases have tested negative after initial repeated tests.

    He stated that, although the new infection was going down in the region, there was the need for the public to continue to observe the safety protocols and guidelines in order to prevent more infections.

    Dr Tenkorang commended authorities in the region for ensuring that safety protocols were being adhered to and that it has accounted for the reduction of new infected cases of the disease.

    Source: ghanaiantimes.com.gh

  • Coronavirus: Baatsona police tour companies to inspect safety measures

    The Baatsona Divisional Police on Wednesday toured industries in their jurisdiction to ensure Covid-19 safety protocols are being observed.

    Led by the Divisional Commander, ACP Julius Kpebesson, the team visited Far East Mercantile Company Limited & IFFCO Limited distributors of food beverages and Parlays Ghana Limited producers of Parlays Biscuits.

    They also visited Polytank Ghana Limited, manufacturers of plastic tanks and other plastic products as well as Weave Ghana Limited producers of Darling artificial human hair

    The circular from the police commended all these companies for ensuring their staff were adhering to the proper hygiene, social distancing and other necessary protocol recommended for preventing the spread of the new coronavirus.

    “In place were adequate essentials for frequent hand washing with soap under running water, use of hand sanitizers, social distancing and mandatory masks wearing,” the statement said.

    Polytank was, however, singled out for praise; the police describing the measures put in place by company as “very impressive.”

    “At the said facility, there was a health and safety committee set up purposely for enforcement of the protocols, with duty roster and checklist provided under direct supervision of the General Manager who routinely crosscheck and signs the check list,” the police said.

    ACP Kpebesson commended management of Polytank and urged other companies to “take cue from such splendid initiative.”

    The inspection exercise continues unabated, the police said.

     

    Source: myjoyonline

  • Coronavirus: No positive case at Dansoman Police Division Commander

    The Dansoman Divisional Police Commander, Chief Superintendent Jeffrey Darko, has discounted claims that his outfit has recorded two coronavirus cases.

    According to him, although blood samples of both police personnel and inmates within the division have been taken, results are yet to be delivered.

    “I am the District Commander of Dansoman, and I am saying that blood samples have been taken from my station including mine and we are patiently awaiting the results. So I cannot make any confirmation on the matter,” Chief Supt. Darko clarified.

    The Dansoman district police commander was reacting to reports that his division had recorded two coronavirus cases.

    This was when Zoomlion Ghana Limited on Wednesday, May 21, disinfected the Dansoman police station and two other police facilities—Mamprobi Police Station and the Korle Bu District Police Headquarters, all in Accra.

    Chief Supt. Darko, despite the situation, his personnel are not relenting in the performance of their duties.

    “…as officers we are observing all the COVID-19 protocols in the performance of our duties. A lot of people come here; the citizenry always come here to lodge complaints. We are still handling cases, and going to court as well,” the commander said.

    He said the division has put in place measures to prevent congestion in the various police cells under his jurisidiction

    These steps, he disclosed, included avoiding detention of suspects of all cases, taking witness statements and where there is evidence they send such cases to the court.

    “…and in cases where there is lack of evidence we grant bail for the suspects to go home because we have decided not to crowd our cells,” Chief Supt. Darko stated

    Asked about how his division was enforcing the preventive protocols at the Dasnsoman market which is close to the police station, the commander indicated that his officers from time to time patrol the market to educate the traders.

    “Even last two weeks, our community policing unit was there to enforce the social/physical distancing protocol in addition to the wearing of masks, and using alcohol-based hand sanitisers for their hands,” the chief superintendent recounted.

    He expressed gratitude to Zoomlion Ghana Limited for partnering the Ghana Police Service to have its facilities disinfected against the global pandemic.

    According to him, facilities disinfected in his division included the male and female cells, barracks, various offices and the entire compound of the Dansoman Divisional Headquarters.

    The COVID-19 protocols, he noted, are being strictly adhered to by his officers.

    For his part, the Mamprobi Police Commander, Chief Superintendent Cephas Arthur, who also had his station disinfected, indicated that the exercise will go a long way to sanitize both the police station and its environment.

    “It will also protect us against the deadly coronavirus” he said, describing the exercise as a good one.

    He revealed that mass testing of his officers had been done recently, but said “we are waiting for the results”

    Chief Supt. Arthur however, said some of the tests were voluntarily done as officers availed themselves for it.

    “Additionally, we have Veronica buckets, detergents, hand sanitisers, which we make sure personnel as well as inmates and visitors to this place use in sanitising their hands against the virus,” Chief Superintendent Arthur said.

    At the Korle Bu District Headquarters, Police Commander Cephas Edezeami, indicated that as part of measures to avoid crowding in the cells, his outfit has resolved not to detain suspects of lesser offences.

    “We ensure that suspects of cases which are not serious are not detained but granted bail to go home,” he said.

    He, therefore, thanked Zoomlion for the exercise, stating that it will help contain the spread of the coronavirus at his station.

    Source: 3 News

  • Coronavirus: Ghana records 125 more recoveries

    At least 125 more persons have recovered from the novel Coronavirus in Ghana, the Ghana Health Service (GHS) has reported.

    This marks the total number of recoveries stand at 1,898 as of Wednesday, May 20, 2020.

    The death toll, however, is still 31.

    According to the Ghana Health Service, 173 new cases of the virus have been confirmed, which makes the total number of confirmed cases stand at 6,269.

    The total active Coronavirus cases is now at 4,340.

    Eight persons are still in critical condition with the number of tests administered in the region of 187,000.

    The top four regions [Greater Accra, Ashanti, Western and Central] have seen an increase in the number of confirmed cases.

    The Greater Accra region still leads with 4,582 confirmed cases, followed by the Ashanti region with 921 cases.

    The cases in the Western and Central regions have now increased to 170 and 285 respectively.

    So far, the Savannah, Ahafo and Bono East regions have not recorded any case of the virus.

    Find below the regional breakdown

    Greater Accra Region 4,582

    Ashanti Region 921

    Central Region 285

    Western Region 170

    Eastern Region 106

    Western North Region 57

    Volta Region 41

    Northern Region 31

    Oti Region 26

    Upper East Region 26

    Upper West Region 21

    North East Region 2

    Bono Region 1

    Savannah Region 0

    Ahafo Region 0

    Bono East Region 0

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • Coronavirus: Government cautioned against rushing to re-open schools

    Assistant Headmaster in charge of Academic at the Apostle Safo School of Arts and Sciences in Accra, Hughes Lartey, is cautioning the government against the re-opening of schools in the wake of the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.

    In his estimation, school children, especially those in the lower primary, will find it extremely difficult to cooperate with school authorities in ensuring their safety.

    Mr Lartey gave the caution during a disinfection and fumigation of the school by Zoomlion Ghana Limited on Wednesday, May 20.

    He, however, observed that students in the upper level to some extent may be able to observe the COVID-19 safety protocols.

    To this end, he lauded the government for the initiative to have public schools in the country fumigated and disinfected, saying that despite his school being a private one, they were also entitled to the packages rolled out by government.

    He said it was unfortunate that the central government excluded private schools from the stimulus package given to businesses.

    “We register our schools as business entities, employ workers to ensure the safety of students and those workers would have to be paid so private schools also deserve the stimulus package,” he urged.

    For his part, the Director of Santa Maria International School, Accra, Nana Darbo Nti whose school also underwent the exercise, urged parents to support school authorities to ensure the safety of their wards should the government give the green light for schools to re-open.

    The exercise was undertaken by Fumigation Services Ghana Limited in collaboration with Zoomlion Ghana Limited.

    It was aimed at containing the spread of the novel coronavirus pandemic and dealing with bedbugs which treatment has become a headache for many school authorities.

    Speaking to the media after the exercise, General Manager of Fumigation Services Ghana Limited, Pius Asare Ayum, disclosed that Zoomlion Ghana Limited had engaged them to disinfect a number of senior high schools across the country of which Santa Maria International School was one of them.

    Facilities fumigated and disinfected in both schools included classrooms, laboratories, library, kitchen, dormitories, school compound and car park among other areas.

    Source: 3 News

  • Coronavirus: Intensify public education on nose masks wearing – ASIG

    Advocate for Social Intervention Ghana (ASIG), a civil society organization dedicated to the promotion of social justice, has called for further education on the wearing of nose masks.

    This, according to the organization would help the people appreciate the importance of the nose masks in the fight against the COVID-19 in the country.

    A statement signed by Mr Emmanuel Arthur, Chief Executive Officer and issued in Kumasi, said it was important for all Ghanaians to know and understand when, where, and how to wear the nose masks, as a preventive measure for COVID-19.

    The statement, which was in reaction to the arrest and prosecution of people found not to be wearing the nose masks, said such action would not help in the fight against the spread of the virus.

    It said stigmatization associated with the pandemic had become a serious challenge in the fight against the disease in the country, and making the non-wearing of nose masks a sinful act, would aggravate the situation.

    According to the statement, what the people needed was an education on why and where he or she should wear the mask since most people were finding it difficult to wear it throughout the day.

    “People should be encouraged to cover their nose and mouth when they are going to have an interaction with people”, the statement pointed out.

    The statement said if care was not taken, the strict enforcement of the directive would force the people to wear the masks only when they were about to meet the police or any security personnel.

    It called on the government and the Ghana Health Service to strengthen public education of the preventive protocols to ensure that people understood and adhered to them without compulsion.

    Source: GNA

  • Government shouldn’t rush into reopening schools amid coronavirus – NDC National Youth Organizer

    National Youth Organizer of the largest opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), George Opare Addo has said any attempt at reopening schools anytime soon amid the coronavirus pandemic is a plan by government to achieve an ulterior motive.

    He argued on UTV’s ‘Adekye Nsroma’ discussion segment that such preparations by the ruling government is never the best and must not be encouraged.

    ” . . plans by government to reopen schools anytime soon is an agenda to set a common goal that the pandemic is no more with us which is never true. Government is just setting ways to achieve its political gains,” he said.

    The NDC National Youth Organiser wondered how children could hold out against the disease that is even very difficult for adults to withstand it.

    “Seriously I can’t imagine how a child will be quarantined for two weeks, can this be possible in our part of the world,” he asked.

    Mr. Opare Addo noted that the risk of contracting Coronavirus in Ghana is still high and the government should “not rush” into reopening schools.

    Source: Peace FM

  • You cant get Kontomire, Dawadawa with GH¢1.80 per day Prisoners told

    The Deputy Director of Prisons at the Koforidua Prisons, ADP Joseph Asabri, says the GH¢1.80 for a three-square would not make it possible for prisoners to have the luxury of enjoying a balanced diet to boost their immune systems against Covid-19 as the president has encouraged.

    “Government feeds one prisoner, GH¢1.80 a day,” ADP Asabri said. “We pay suppliers and buy fire wood out of that, so in effect the GH¢1.80 is less for three square meals.”

    He added: “So eating a balanced diet with meals such as Kontomire, Dawadawa and the rest would be difficult to manage with the GH¢1.80. They even asked us to use vitamin C to boost our immune system, all these would be difficult to do for us.”

    ADP Asabri made this known when the Omega House Chapel of the Assemblies of God led by Head Pastor Prophet Albert Asihene-Agyakwa presented groceries and hand-washing items worth GH¢40,000 to them to help fight the spread of the virus.

    The daily stipend given by government amounts to GH¢0.60 per meal for each prisoner.

    The Koforidua Prisons has a total of over 650 inmates.

    It relies on donations from religious organizations and benevolent individuals to augment what government provides.

    In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, management held fresh convicts for a mandatory 14-day quarantine before they join the larger population but that arrangement has been cancelled because the designated cells were becoming congested.

    Fresh convicts are now being sent to Ankaful Prisons designated for the southern zone for the Central, Greater Accra and Eastern regions.

    “We cannot continue to be creating cells because of congestion, so effective May 15, 2020 fresh inmates would be admitted at Ankaful prisons.”

     

    Source: 3 News

  • Coronavirus: Ghanaians reduce trips to short distances Report

    A latest report on mobility among the Ghanaian population has established a decrease in travels following the lifting of the two-week partial lockdown imposed in parts of the country to contain spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19).

    Assessing movements within regions and districts in hitherto restricted areas like the Greater Accra Region and Kumasi in the Ashanti Region as well as other areas around the country, the report found that though movements had slightly increased, it remains lower than the norm.

    Generally, it noted that trips were mainly restricted to short distances and routine daily trips related to activities such as commuting to work, shopping and entertainment.

    Jointly conducted by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), Flowminder Foundation, a non-profit organisation and Vodafone Ghana, the report used data from mobile network operators to understand mobility patterns of the citizenry for decision making in managing the pandemic.

    The organisations analysed the effects of mobility and social distancing interventions between February 17 and May 3, 2020, highlighting the differences in population movements before, during and after the mobility restrictions were introduced and lifted.

    Government Statistician, Professor Samuel Annim, in a release copied to the Ghanaian Times yesterday, commended the public for showing discipline after the lockdown and not reverting to old ways of living.

    “The observation that mobility after the partial lockdown was lifted remains at levels lower than mobility during the periods of the baseline and the initial restrictions, including sanctioning social distancing and adherence to public health hygienic protocols, endorses the effectiveness of the use of moral suasion as a complementary intervention in the fight against COVID-19.

    “Residents in Ghana deserve commendation for not reverting to the ways of living prior to the imposition of the initial restrictions and are therefore urged to continue with change in behaviour in order to contain the epidemic,” he said.

    Prof. Annim was confident the report will support policymaking and decisions in government response to the pandemic moving forward.

    Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Vodafone Ghana, Patricia Obo-Nai, noted that mobility insights were crucial in evaluating the effectiveness of measures put in place by government in fighting COVID-19.

    She, thus, hoped that more research is focused in the area to support policymaking.

    On her part, Data Scientist at Flowminder, Tracey Li, observed that the overall trend in reduction of movement could be helpful in case management and treatment of COVID-19 cases.

    As of yesterday, Ghana had a total of 6096 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 1,773 recoveries and 31 deaths.

    Of the number tested positive to the virus, 4,128 had come from contact tracing; 1,853 from routine surveillance and 115 from mandatory quarantine, meaning that contact tracing, was helping discover more infected persons in the country.

     

    Source: ghanaiantimes.com.gh

  • From WWII to coronavirus war, this 95-yr-old veteran is fighting the pandemic with a charity walk

    95-year-old Second World War veteran from Ghana, Private Joseph Hammond is challenging himself to walk two miles a day for a week in aid of a charity close to his heart.

    Inspired by Captain Tom Moore who took on a similar initiative in the UK, he hopes to raise $600,000 (£500,000) for frontline workers and vulnerable veterans across Africa.

    Private Hammond fought with the British army in Burma, in the Gold Coast Regiment of the Royal West African Frontier Force.

    From fighting World War to COVID -19 war, he tells GhanaWeb that “I still have the military blood in me which makes me as fit as a fiddle” to embark on the charity walk to defeat the virus.

    The funds gained at the end of his one week walk will be committed to securing PPEs for COVID-19 frontline workers and vulnerable veterans in Commonwealth countries. Private Joseph Hammond raised concerns about the need for Africa to support its ex-servicemen.

    As at Wednesday, May 20, 2020, the crowdfunding account set up for the charity walk had accrued a little over 1,600 pounds.

    The 95-year-old veteran says his sudden rise to fame is beyond belief.

     

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • Deputy Education Minister tells private school owners to apply for stimulus package

    Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, Deputy Education Minister in charge of Basic and Secondary Education, has asked managers of private schools to apply for the GHS600million stimulus package earmarked by the government to support businesses deal with the effect of the coronavirus pandemic.

    He said the package covers players in the educational sector, hence they can apply to benefit from the programme.

    Responding to concerns that private school teachers have not been paid salaries for three months following the COVID-19 ban, while speaking on the Sunrise Show on 3FM hosted by Alfred Ocansey on Wednesday, May 20, Mr Adutwum remarked, “If they have not been paid then I think its management issue

    “The GHS600million stimulus included education and so I will encourage private owners to apply.”

    Regarding the possible reopening of schools, Dr Adutwum said that the Ghana Education Service (GES) is currently engaging stakeholders on a possible reopening of schools.

    He said the decision, apart from the assessment and engagement by the GES, will also largely depend on health considerations.

    “The GES has started engagement, they will be meeting with teacher unions and other groups to solicit their inputs.

    “Of course the critical decisions won’t come from education, it will come from health, just like in the US where the Centre for Disease Control (CDC ) gave a broad stroke of a kind of a policy and said this has to prevail, this has to be there.”.

    He added, “GES is not blindfolded by the reality of the situation and of course they cannot just jump and reopen schools without a thorough analysis at the highest level of government.”

    Source: 3 News

  • 30 health workers contract coronavirus in Ashanti region

    About 30 health workers in the Ashanti region have contracted Covid-19, the Ashanti regional health directorate has revealed.

    According to the health directories, the affected workers are responding to treatment.

    The regional case tally is now 888 with the number of deaths still 7.

    Meanwhile, cases in Ghana have now moved to 6,096 after 178 new cases were recorded barely 24 hours after the country recorded an increase of 183 cases.

    19 more recoveries have also been confirmed, according to figures from the Ghana Health Service, taking the total number of recoveries to 1,773.

    The death toll still stands at 31.

    The update indicated that there had been an increase in the number of cases in four regions – Greater Accra, Ashanti, Western and Central Regions.

    Case count per region

    Greater Accra Region 4,536

    Ashanti Region 888

    Central Region 256

    Western Region 111

    Eastern Region 100

    Western North Region 57

    Volta Region 41

    Northern Region 31

    Oti Region 26

    Upper East Region 26

    Source: Starr FM

  • No repatriation flight for Ghanaians in South Africa Ambassador

    The High Commission of Ghana in South Africa has warned Ghanaian nationals in South Africa to ignore some supposed reports that there is a repatriation flight to transport Ghanaian citizens from South Africa to Ghana amidst Coronavirus pandemic.

    According to the mission, there are audio messages circulating on WhatsApp and other social media that the government of Ghana has served noticed to repatriate Ghanaian citizens from South Africa to Ghana.

    In an exclusive interview with thepressradio.com the Ghana High Commissioner to South Africa, Mr. George Ayisi-Boateng stated that the said reports are hoax and should not be tolerated.

    “It has come to the attention of the mission that there is a fake audio message going round on WhatsApp that the Government of Ghana has arranged flight to repatriate Ghanaians citizens from South Africa to Ghana due to coronavirus pandemic but I want to state in categorically that there is no any repatriation arrangement for Ghanaian nationals in South Africa.” He said.

    “The Mission wishes to reiterate that the said information is palpably false and without merit,” Ayisi Boateng added.

    He indicated that South Africa and Ghana borders still remain closed.

    Source: thepressradio.com

  • Pastor who ‘healed coronavirus sufferers by laying his hands on them’ dies from disease

    A pastor who has allegedly healed dozens of confirmed and suspected coronavirus victims died of the same disease on Saturday.

    According to the Dailymail, the 39-year-old Cameroonian Pastor, Frankline Ndifor, claimed to cure COVID-19 and in the weeks preceding his death, dozens of patients flocked to his Kingship International Ministries Church for healing.

    “His supporters called him a ‘prophet’ and blocked the entrance to his home in the capital city of Douala for eight hours as medical staff tried to retrieve Ndifor’s body on Saturday morning,” the UK-based news website reported.

    The report indicated that the pastor started suffering severe respiratory difficulties a week after falling ill with the virus and he died ten minutes after treatment.

    A police force had to be deployed when supporters blocked the entrance to his home and claimed the pastor was on a spiritual retreat with God so could not be buried, the report indicated.

    The pastor had been donating buckets, facemasks and soap to people in need before his demise.

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • This is the time to intensify PFJ programme Dr. Akparep

    Dr John Yaw Akparep, the Research Director for the Centre of Posterity Interest Organisation (COPIO), has observed that this was an ideal time for the government to intensify the implementation of the Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) programme.

    He said the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic had affected importation of farm inputs such as agrochemicals resulting in scarcity and increase in the prices of those inputs.

    Dr. Akparep, who said this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Wa on Tuesday, added that the pandemic had brought economic hardship on smallholder farmers.

    He said that had made it virtually impossible for the farmers to procure those farm inputs to improve their farming activities.

    “Some of the things we used to import, we are no longer having access to them because of the border closure and other things.

    “So definitely, if we have to import agricultural inputs, as a result of the border closure and whatever … not much attention is paid to bringing those inputs into the country, and the few that are around definitely will go for higher prices, and not everybody can afford,” he explained.

    While commending the government for taking the initiative to support Small and Medium scale Enterprises in the country, Dr. Akparep, entreated the disbursement institutions to make those funding support accessible to farmers.

    He said if the government support was accessible to all farmers it would serve as a relief to the farmers in their production activities.

    “Government fund for supporting SMEs has come at the right time, but how many people in the rural areas are able to access those support,” he indicated.

    Dr. Akparep observed that the COVID-19 pandemic could wreak havoc in the agricultural sector globally, affecting food importation in the country.

    That, he said, had necessitated the need for the government to intervene to ensure that agricultural production in the country was improved to avert any unforeseen circumstances.

    “If it were to be in Ghana alone, we could be sure other countries will produce where we can import from, but this is a worldwide problem, and other places even have worse situations than ours.

    “So naturally, importation will not be as it is supposed to be, and production will not be as it is supposed to be, it is not going to be favourable this year like other years,” Dr. Akparep explained.

    Source: GNA

  • Coronavirus: Tricycle operators cry over low patronage

    The operators of tricycles which are popularly known in the Tamale metropolis as “yellow yellow” have been lamenting over low patronage of their services since the outbreak of the COVID-19 in Tamale.

    Some tricycle drivers who spoke to GhanaWeb explained that they used to pick three passengers as a full capacity but since the outbreak hit Tamale, they were been directed by the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly (TeMA) to pick only two, instead of three, which has had a dire effect on their daily earnings.

    “The coming of the disease seems to slow down our business because we used to pick three passengers at a go but we are now told to reduced to two and even the two passengers, when we go out, we don’t earn the amount we used to earn ” they explained.

    Speaking to Alhassan, who is one of the drivers explained that, they don’t understand why “Yellow Yellow” operators are the only people asked to reduce passenger intake when the same directive hasn’t been meted out on commercial vehicle drivers; trotro and taxi drivers.

    “Our concern is that we haven’t heard or seen any Taxi or trotro drivers been asked to load below their capacity but we the “Yellow Yellow” drivers when they see us load with three passengers which is our normal capacity, they arrest us and accused us of spreading the virus,” he said.

    He also indicated that, they feel been unfairly targeted by the Metro Assembly, adding that, members of the ”Yellow Yellow” who sometimes load with the three passengers due to the economic hardship, they are arrested and made to pay exorbitant fines and sometimes, even suffer beatings in the hands of the police, which he said isn’t fair and must be looked into.

    They, therefore, appealed to the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly to review the directive and to also ensure that even if such directive is to be held, and it does not only apply to Yellow yellow operators but cut across.

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • Taskforce formed to facilitate recovery of industrial, manufacturing sectors Ofori-Atta

    Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta has disclosed a taskforce has been established to further work on recovery, stabilization, and revitalization of industrial and manufacturing sectors to ensure a fast pace revamp post-Coronavirus.

    According to him, the taskforce will have a primary focus on specific large businesses to ensure a post-Coronavirus recovery of industry is well facilitated.

    Speaking at the launch of the Coronavirus Alleviation Programme (CAP) Business Support Scheme (CAP BuSS), Ken Ofori Atta said; “We have therefore proposed this [CAP BuSS] programme and additionally a taskforce has also been formed to further work on a recovery, a stabilization and a revitalization programme which will concentrate on industry and manufacturing with a specific focus on large businesses to spare growth, minimize job losses and to ensure that the post COVID-19 recovery is at an even faster pace and the President has charged us to do this”

    The Finance Minister adds government is positioning the newly set up Development Bank of Ghana to be a critical element of the post-recovery strategy for rapid industrialization and agricultural modernization.

    “This will turn Ghana also into a regional trade and investment hub,” he indicated.

    The CAP BuSS is an initiative intended to provide a stimulus package of GHS¢600 million in soft loans to scale up Medium Small-Scale Enterprises who may have been impacted by the Coronavirus pandemic.

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • Akufo-Addo launches one billion-cedi stimulus package for SME’s

    President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has launched a One billion Ghana Cedi stimulus package to provide relief to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), hard-hit by the novel coronavirus pandemic.

    The COVID-19 Alleviation Programme (CAP) Business Support Scheme, to be administered by the National Board for Small Scale Industries (NBSSI) is to help lessen the effects of the economic crisis, like no other, caused by the pandemic.

    It would provide additional capital for business expansion to meet the demand for respiratory illness-related goods and services.

    At a ceremony at the Jubilee House, President Akufo-Addo said the flu-like virus had exacted a huge toll on world economies, including that of Ghana – reduced productivity, job losses and steep decline of revenue for government, businesses, households and individuals.

    The MSMEs, which account for 70 per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product and represent 92 per cent of businesses are among the hardest hit, and therefore the need to be given special attention by the government.

    The President said the business support programme was an integral part of the resilience and recovery plan being put in place to ensure the renewal of economic activity and sustenance of livelihoods.

    “We are determined to protect as many jobs as possible and to help as many businesses as possible get back on their feet.”

    Out of the amount earmarked for the scheme, GH¢600 million would be disbursed as loans to MSMEs with a one-year moratorium and a two-year payment period with three per cent interest.

    Additionally, selected banks that would participate in the programme would provide a negotiated counterpart funding to the tune of GH¢400 million to be disbursed under the scheme.

    President Akufo-Addo expressed optimism that the scheme would help the nation’s economy to get back on track.

    He gave the assurance that, “transparency and accountability will be the hallmark of the operation of the scheme”.

    “I am passionate about the scheme working. Government is investing a lot in it, and I am confident that the proper application of these funds will help our nation bounce back stronger and better than before.

    “This whole scheme is meant to engender compassion and hope, the pillars on which we build a post-COVID-19 Ghana.”

    He urged persons and businesses who accessed the facility to utilise the funds for the intended purpose “so that together, we can work to grow our economy once again”.

    The programme, targeted at MSME’S in both the formal and informal sectors, is expected to attract over 180,000 beneficiaries.

    The allocation of the funds would be supervised by a Loans Committee composed of one representative each from the Ministries of Trade and Industry and Finance, the NBSSI, and the participating banks, with the KPMG acting as the technical advisors to the scheme.

    The scheme is targeting businesses in the Food and beverages, technology, transportation, commerce, trade, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, textiles and garments sectors.

    Beneficiaries must either be self-employed, sole proprietors or engaged in limited liability partnership or venture arrangements

    Source: GNA

     

  • GH¢600 million stimulus package a good start Ofori-Atta

    Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, has said the GH¢600 million stimulus package is a good start to assist Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMES) in Ghana following the COVID-19 pandemic.

    As part of efforts of ameliorate the hardship on Ghanaian businesses, the government of Ghana has earmarked GH¢600 million to assist businesses.

    However, analysts and groups including the Trades Union Congress (TUC) and the Ghana National Union of Traders Association (GUTA) have said the amount is not enough to support the businesses.

    But Mr Ofori Atta indicated that the Akufo-Addo administration is committed to ensuring that SMEs remain vibrant in order to create jobs for Ghanaians during the period of the coronavirus pandemic.

    He said, this commitment is seen in the earmarked GH¢600million for SMEs to ensure they remain in business in spite of the impact of the COVID-19.

    He was speaking at the launch of the coronavirus alleviation programme business support scheme, at the seat of government, the Jubilee House in Accra on Tuesday May 19.

    He said the “government is committed to ensuring that SMEs remain vibrant and continue to create jobs for the people of Ghana during this period.”

    He added GH¢600million can go a long way in creating the Ghanaian enterprise.

    Robert Ahomka Lindsey, a Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry said the coronavirus alleviation programme is a key intervention to address the challenges facing Ghanaian businesses following the covid-19 pandemic.

    The programme will focus on the Pharmaceutical, manufacturing, tourism, water and sanitation, education including private, sectors.

    “The programme will be rolled out nationwide,” he said.

    Source: laudbusiness.com

  • Delayed release of results caused hike in Obuasi coronavirus cases – GHS

    Dr Franklin Asiedu-Bekoe, the Head of Disease Surveillance at the Ghana Health Service (GHS), on Tuesday, said the late release of the test results of infected persons accounted for the increase in infections at Obuasi.

    The authorities, he said, had very little idea of the magnitude of the infection rate until the release of the backlog of the positive results for cases in the Municipality, last week, by the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research (KCCR), which had been overstretched with workload.

    Before their results were returned positive, the individuals who showed no symptoms of the disease were not been properly isolated and thus had gone about their duties without observing the precautionary protocols and infected others, thereby making Obuasi the main hotspot of the Ashanti Region.

    The authorities, Dr Asiedu-Bekoe said, consequently, became overwhelmed by the numbers.

    Giving an update on the assessment of the situations at Obuasi and Tema and their management by a team of experts from the GHS, Dr Asiedu-Bekoe said both situations had since been brought under control.

    In the Obuasi case, several activities and measures had been strengthened by the joint Municipal Health Directorates in partnership with their stakeholders to prevent the further spread of the novel coronavirus in the Municipality and its environs.

    Currently, he said, an aggressive retesting was ongoing of all the old cases for the reconfirmation of their status, while enhanced contact tracing had also been in force for the new confirmed cases in the high densely populated communities.

    Also, voluntary mass testing was being rolled out in the areas of high risk populations, including taxi and “trotro” drivers and food vendors.

    Dr Asiedu-Bekoe said some extraction kits had also been presented to the KCCR to enhance testing, while sputum testing had been added to complement the swab sampling.

    The Male Ward of the Obuasi Government Hospital had been converted into a 14-bed COVID-19 treatment centre, while efforts were underway to have a 100-bed isolation facility to deal with limited isolation facilities for patients.

    He said a similar 100-bed facility had been secured in Kumasi to add up to the number of isolation centres.

    He also mentioned other interventions such as the intensification of public education on the COVID-19 preventive and hygiene protocols, particularly those on the wearing of face masks, regular hand washing with soap under running water, social distancing as well as the spitting, sneezing and cough etiquettes.

    Dr Asiedu-Bekoe said in the Tema fishing factory incident, the number of workers exposed to the virus by their co-worker had risen to 695.

    The GHS, therefore, allocated these persons to their respective residential districts for proper isolation and treatment.

    However, 624 of them have tested negative after treatment and were awaiting their second negative tests to be declared recovered.

    The factory had been made to address the conditions, which facilitated the spread and made to put in place measures for its containment.

    Source: GNA

  • Tema fish processing company to reopen after Covid-19 mass testing

    Head of the Disease Surveillance Department at the Ghana Health Service, Dr Franklin Asiedu- Bekoe says the Tema Fish Processing Company can open for operations after the first test of 624 workers came out negative.

    This follows the closure of the company after 533 out of 1,300 workers of the well-known company tested positive for Covid-19.

    President Akufo-Addo who gave details during a national address said, all the 533 people were affected by one person.

    Speaking at a weekly press brief held at the Information Ministry, Dr Franklin Asiedu- Bekoe said GHS has put in place protocols for the workers so work can resume.

    “We went to look at the gaps that exist in such a facility. The first thing we noticed was that the employees were more than the space.

    “The other thing was that social distancing was also being disregarded, then they had an issue with their canteen.

    “The dinning table has about 6 people sitting close to each other and also there is a bus that drives them around and social distancing was not being practice on it. They also had a log in system that uses finger print. Those are all factors that can spread the virus.

    “So going further, the spread has to be prevented and for the 695 possible cases the result that has come is that 624 are negative and only 7 are positive.

    “Currently handwashing facilities have been placed at each department. There are also floor managers to show people where to stand. Also all staff are to wear face masks and hand sanitisers have been placed at all vantage points now.

    Ghana has recorded 5,918 confirmed cases of the virus with 31 deaths. While Greater Accra has the highest record of 4,422 cases, the Ashanti region is next with 881 cases.

     

     

  • NPP-diaspora branches commend Akufo-Addos handling of Covid-19 pandemic

    The diaspora branches of the governing NPP have jointly commended President Akufo-Addo on his handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

    The members say based on their experiences in the diaspora in relation to the pandemic, they feel “compelled to extol the commitment and the pragmatic strategies based on expert advice to contain the pandemic and to commend the President and his government for that.”

    “The Covid-19 has inundated the global community, taking lives, crumbling economies and social cohesion of all countries requiring bold leadership such as what Nana Akufo-Addo is demonstrating in Ghana,” a statement from the International Affairs, NPP said.

    The group says the timely closure of the borders of Ghana, mandatory quarantining of all travelers from abroad on the night of the closure of borders and the three-week lockdown in parts of the country helped to contain the outbreak.

    The group also commended the president on the stimulus packages meant to reduce the economic burden of Ghanaians due to the pandemic.

    They lauded among others, the 50 percent bonus for frontline health workers and three-month free water and electricity subsidies as a step in the right direction.

    “As much as possible, all Ghanaians should continue to observe all safety protocols put out by the President, local and international bodies to effectively contain the pandemic,” they said.

     

     

  • Coronavirus free water relief program lacks monitoring Jantuah

    Nana Yaa Jantuah, Vice Chair of the Consumer Protection Agency, has noted that there is lack of supervision in ensuring that all Ghanaians benefit from the free water supply to homes as one of the reliefs by the government to deal with the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic.

    She told Alfred Ocansey on the Sunrise show on 3FM Tuesday, May 19 that people are complaining that they are not benefiting from the programme weeks after the implementation

    She attributed this to a lack of supervision by authority.

    President Akufo-Addo in his televised address to the nation announced that for the months of April, May and June, his government is taking the water cost burden off Ghanaians.

    “All water tankers, publicly and privately-owned, are also going to be mobilised to ensure the supply of water to all vulnerable communities,” he said.

    But Ms Jantuah said: “People are saying they are not piped, they are not metered and so they are not enjoying the reliefs so we thought that there should be some form of interventions to ensure that they get free water.

    “We need water to do many things especially in this time of COVID-19.

    “What I see lacking in all this is that stakeholders are not monitoring because you need to monitor to find out what exactly is going on because an instruction has been given, adherence to that instruction, so there should be monitoring.”

    Source: 3 News

  • Coronavirus: Im determined to protect jobs Akufo-Addo

    President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has assured Medium, Small and Micro Enterprises that he is determined to protect their means of livelihoods of the people of Ghana that has been negatively impacted by the outbreak of the novel Coronavirus, Covid-19.

    Speaking at the “Presidential launch of the Coronavirus Alleviation Programme (CAP) Business Support Scheme” at the Banquet Hall of the Jubilee House, President Akufo-Addo said the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on jobs in Ghana cannot be overemphasized. However, he is determined to do everything in his power to protect jobs at all levels of the Ghanaian economy.

    “I am passionate about the scheme working, the government is investing a lot in it and I am confident that the proper application of these funds will help our nation bounce back stronger and better than before” President Akufo-Addo noted.

    “The business support programme is an integral part of the resilience and recovery plan which is being instituted by the government to ensure the renewal of economic activity and sustenance of livelihoods. We are determined to protect as many jobs as possible and to help as many businesses as possible get back on their feet” President Akufo-Addo added.

    PRUDENT USE OF LOANS

    President Akufo-Addo urged all persons who intend to access the two financial avenues, Adom microloans for smaller enterprises and the Anidasuo soft loans for larger enterprises, to use the resources for the sole purpose for which they are advanced to them.

    “I urge all beneficiaries to use the funds received for the intended purpose so that together, we can work to grow our economy once again” President Akufo-Addo stated.

    EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF NBSSI

    Executive Director of the National Board for Small Scale Industries (NBSSI), the body tasked to manage and administer the Coronavirus Alleviation Programme (CAP) Business Support Scheme, Mrs Kosi Antiwiwaa Yankey-Ayeh, in a brief remark observed that out of the six hundred million (600 million) earmarked by the government to support Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and a further four hundred million (400 million) from the commercial banks, MSMEs have a window of opportunity to access soft loans at a 5% interest rate with a one-year moratorium and a repayment period of two (2) to three (3) years.

    APPLICATION PROCESS

    Madam Yankey-Ayeh indicated that Applicants can register via phone, text, online, and paper application. Applications she said will be received on a central portal, applicants will receive a message via text or email specifying their unique reference code, a URL and the next steps they ought to take. With the reference code, they will be able to go through the application process.

    The technology platform will pass on the data gathered to the financial institutions/telcos and subsequently, they will assess the applications and issue a recommendation. Once the recommendation is approved, funds will be disbursed directly to successful applicants. She indicated that disbursements to successful applicants will be made via Mobile Money Transfer or Direct payment into the bank accounts of applicants.

    Source: Starr FM

  • Ho Teaching Hospital nurse tests positive to coronavirus

    A nurse at the Ho Teaching Hospital (HTH) has tested positive to the Coronavirus disease.

    Mr Amos Dzah, Public Affairs Officer of the Hospital who confirmed this to the Ghana News Agency said, the nurse has since been admitted at the Regional Treatment Centre in Ho on Sunday.

    He said the working area of the nurse had been fumigated and ready to be opened to the public.

    Mr Dzah said three members of staff and a close acquaintance of the nurse have also been quarantined.

    He said there was no cause for alarm and urged the public to maintain the protocols including physical distancing, wearing of facial masks, and washing of hand with soap under running water.

    Volta Region has 41 COVID-19 cases with two confirmed deaths.

    Source: GNA

  • Coronavirus: Speaker orders mandatory testing of MPs, Parliamentary staff

    The Speaker of Parliament, Prof. Aaron Mike Oquaye, has directed that all Members of Parliament, including parliamentary staff, must go through a mandatory Coronavirus test.

    He made the order today, Tuesday, May 19, 2020, when the House commenced sittings for the second meeting of this session.

    According to the Speaker, the directive forms part of measures instituted by the Parliamentary Service Board to prevent an outbreak of the pandemic in the legislature.

    Prof Oquaye, however, assured that all necessary steps will be taken to ensure the safety of MPs.

    Ghana has recorded 183 new confirmed cases. While this new update raises the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 5,918, the number of recoveries remains unchanged from the previously recorded 1,754.

    Meanwhile, the death toll has hit 31 as at May 19, 2020, according to the Ghana Health Service.

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com