Hundreds of Police Officers in the Upper East have been lined up to undergo a mandatory screening and testing for Coronavirus.
The exercise has been necessitated by the record of 7 confirmed Covid-19 cases within the police service out of the regional record of 19 with 1 death.
The positive cases are asymptomatic and are under surveillance at the Regional Hospital.
But the Officers undertaking the test have been drawn from Tongo, Zuarungu, Nangodi and Bolgatanga Municipal Police Command.
The SWAT and Visibility Units and staff at the Regional Police Command have also been tested to identify and curb the spread of the disease in the Ghana Police Service.[
Covid19 pandemic is still on the rise since it outbreak in China which has gone a long way to hit countries worldwide. According to John Hopkins University as at 22:25 GMT, 27/04/2020 the world recorded 3,034,801 total confirmed cases, 210,551 deaths from the disease. Ghana is one of the countries hit, recorded 2,169 total confirmed cases, 18 deaths according to Ghana Health Service as of the same date and time.
His Excellency President Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo as part of his efforts to fight this deadly virus have been giving the country a regular press update on our situation as a country and necessary steps and decisions taken to win the fight. These speeches are much appreciated by the Ghanaian populace.
However, the content gets criticized whenever there are gaps or lack of clarity on some of the policies, interventions, and directives propounded.
Criticism in the midst of the crisis should be constructive, that is the only way it can be helpful to this course. I have found a little virus which can become deadly as well if not managed properly. This virus in few words is the President’s’ explanation or reasons given for the deaths recorded by the Ghana Health Service. This information is privy to him anyway but does he have to necessarily tell us?
Reasons why I think its unnecessary
Let’s do a quick throwback, On the 27th March 2020 , The president in his speech said “Four (4) persons, who had tested positive for the virus, but were aged and had other serious, underlying medical conditions, have lost their lives. May their souls rest in perfect peace.”
On the 5th of April, He said; “Two (2) persons are moderately ill, and five (5) persons, as I said before, have lost their lives.”
In his recent speech, that is his Eighth, 26th April 2020, He made this statement as he sort to give hints on why there is a need to strengthen the health system; “Whilst maternal, new-born, adolescent health and nutrition remain our top priorities, we must pay increased attention to chronic, noncommunicable diseases such as heart diseases, diabetes and asthma, which have proved to be the common risk factors for the eleven (11) deaths we have recorded from the virus.
The president in his addresses purports to spread calm by telling us that those with the underlying medical conditions he listed are those at risk and are those who have died from the disease. It is fair but unfortunate because of the following;
1. There is a greater number of people who have at least one of the underlying conditions; heart disease, diabetes, asthma, hypertension, cancer etc. According to WHO; cardiovascular disease (CVD), cancer, diabetes, and chronic respiratory disease, and reduction in suicide mortality rates NCDs collectively caused 41 million deaths worldwide in 2016, equivalent to 71% of all global deaths.
So in his quest to boost the morale of the general populace he is in turn killing the spirit of those with such conditions which constitutes quite a number.
2. It is also not founded that all those recovered are people who do not have any of the underlined conditions. If people in this category are not given hope of getting recovery, you may end up speeding the toll the virus can have on them if they contract it which could lead to more deaths.
A documentation by the WHO on the 27/03/2020 recorded Dr Hans Kluge who answered a question put before him: What is the psychological impact of this disease on the elderly?
“Regarding older people and also those with underlying health conditions, having been identified as more vulnerable to COVID-19, and to be told that you are very vulnerable, can be extremely frightening and very fear-inducing. The psychological impacts for these populations can include anxiety and feeling stressed or angry. Its impacts can be particularly difficult for older people who may be experiencing cognitive decline or dementia. And some older people may already be socially isolated and experiencing loneliness which can worsen mental health.” As at now most people do know it all has to do with the immune system but the constant reminder by the president in his effort to calm nerves is also increasing fear in others. 3.The Ghana Health Service since the start of the spread of the virus until a week ago puts out situational update but do not add in detail why deaths were recorded even though they have adequate information. If it were that important , wouldn’t they have? Does it really make any difference if details of information were given out?. Most leaders around the world leave updating of covid19 cases to the appropriate authorities. In another angle, he doesn’t explain how people do recover or how they catch the virus, should deaths should be any different. 4. Backed by science and data as the president uses for most of his decisions, the age and medical conditions he placed in the context are also not entirely accurate. Over the world, ages do not really matter. There have been deaths in all ranges of ages. Likewise there are people who do not have any of the underlined conditions whom have also died. No group of people are susceptible to the disease. 5. As we have not being able to contain the virus since it keeps spreading to new places, it will be quite irresponsible to paint a picture in a way that seems to mean everything is under control. Not to be a prophet of doom but what if case counts increase drastically? Definitely that will mean much more factors will or can cause more deaths. And if it does, will he update us on what amounted to those deaths? Certainly not.
I am strongly of the view that there is no need for the update on the cases recorded, be it total cases confirmed, total recovery and number of deaths. But to be fair, he has been doing it from day one. The intention behind putting out reasons for the deaths might be good but the adverse effect is extremely great and cannot be overlooked. Everyone is joining hands to help fight covid19. The enemy is the virus ,not one another.
Our anxiety and fears should be acknowledged and not be ignored, but better understood and addressed by individuals, communities and governments,†Dr Hans Kluge.
This is my little way of supporting the course. As little of a problem it may look could silently act like a virus by working on the mental health of people which could help increase deaths. The mind is powerful and I think the idea to omit that portion won’t take anything away from him.
By: Dzorlevo Bright
Email: bsmasher74@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.â€
The Okyenhene, Osaagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin, has donated an amount of GHC 100,000.00 into the National COVID-19 Fund to augment government’s efforts against COVID-19.
The Okyenhene also made donations of assorted items including foodstuff, Veronica buckets and washing bowls as well as detergents and hospital usables to some institutions and Traditional areas.
The specifics of the items include 400 bags of rice, 100 bags of beans, 17 bags of gari, 100 cartons of tuna and 1000 cartons of tomato paste.
Other items include 95 boxes of nose masks, 225 boxes of disposable gloves, 600 rolls of tissue paper, 140 Veronica buckets and washing bowls.
The rest of the items were 20 pieces of gun meter, 750 gallons of liquid soap, 100 waste bins and 100 washing tables.
The hospital usables including the gun meter as well as some bags of rice, beans among others were presented to the Kyebi Government Hospital.
The rest of the items were presented to the various subdivisions in the Abuakwa Transitional Area for distribution to the poor in the area.
Daasebre Anyimadu Kantamanto, Chief of Kwabeng and Gyaasehene of Akyem Abuakwa made the presentation on behalf of the Okyenhene on Monday May 4.
Kojo Oware, a staff of the Kyebi Government Hospital who received the items on behalf the hospital thanked the Okyenhene for his timely intervention.
The other chiefs as well expressed their appreciation.
President John Magufuli of Tanzania has stated that a pawpaw, a goat, and a quail tested positive for coronavirus in the country.
He said this was after he secretly had a variety of animals, fruits, and vehicle oil tested at the national laboratory.
The president said this on Sunday, May 3, while questioning Tanzania’s coronavirus cases, Daily Monitor reports.
President Magufuli has called on the authorities to investigate “sabotage” at the national laboratory.
According to President Magufuli, people who tested positive for the virus may not be sick. He cast doubt on the credibility of laboratory equipment and technicians.
He said in Swahili: “The equipment or people may be compromised and sometimes it can be sabotage…”
Reacting to the fruit and animals that tested positive for coronavirus, President Magufuli said: “That means there is a possibility for technical errors or these imported reagents have issues. Probably, the technicians are also bought to mislead.”
The Member of Parliament (MP) for Kumbungu, Mr Ras Mubarak, says the fight against the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic will be won through sustained public education, science, technology and prayers.
According to him, this was the time that public health practitioners must be encouraged and supported to educate the populace to halt the community spread of COVID-19.
Mr Mubarak, who is the National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP for Kumbungu in the Northern Region, made the remarks in an interview with journalists at Dalun, after he distributed 150 gift boxes to some vulnerable groups in the constituency last Saturday, May 2, 2020.
Donations
The gift boxes contained assorted food items such as bags of rice, sugar, cooking oil, canned fish, sachets of tomato paste, milk, tea bags and packs of fruit juice to the aged, widows and people living with disabilities (PWDs) in Zangbalun, Dalun, Satani and the Kumbungu township.
The food items that were donated with the support of the government and the people of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), was aimed at easing the burden of the vulnerable groups during the month of Ramadan.
Earlier in the day, he had also donated four bags of rice and a check for GH¢2,000 to members of the Tamale branch of the Ghana National Association for the Deaf before setting off to Kumbungu.
The occasion was also used to educate the beneficiaries and some members of the public at the separate venues for the donation on the COVID-19 safety protocols.
Dispel rumours
Mr Mubarak used the occasion to dispel the notion being held by a section of his constituents that the coronavirus could not infect people , especially Dagombas, who claimed to have some form of immunisation through the drinking of herbs against such viruses .
“One thing that I heard on my return to the constituency was that this virus cannot infect a Dagomba man because he has a form of immunisation through the drinking of herbs against such viruses but this is not true when it comes to all viruses, including coronavirus which has no cure,” he stated.
Medical expert
A Medical Laboratory Scientist, Dr Seidu Fiter, who was part of Mr Mubarak’s team, urged Muslims to strictly follow the safety protocols by washing their hands thoroughly under running water with soap and sanitise their hands before performing ablution.
The Volta Regional Minister, Dr Archibald Yao Letsa, has stressed the need for strict adherence to preventive measures against COVID-19 in order to mitigate its spread.
This follows a 200 per cent jump in figures of positive COVID-19 cases recorded in the region, from 10 to 30 in a week, as of May 1, 2020.
The minister in a statement copied to the Daily Graphic indicated that all the 30 cases were in isolation and responding to treatment.
Case details
In a comprehensive detail of the 20 new cases, the statement said 19 of the cases were from the enhanced contact tracing exercise as May 1, 2020 and one also recorded from routine surveillance.
Fifteen of the cases were contacts of the six quarantined travellers at Aflao in the Ketu South Municipality who were confirmed positive on April 12, 2020, while the 16th contact to test positive is a 71-year-old woman who is closely associated with a case confirmed earlier in Ho.
The statement added that the “remaining three contacts that tested positive are contacts of cases confirmed positive in Hohoe on April 12, 2020.”
“The one additional case detected from routine surveillance is a 45-year-old man who returned to Kpando from Accra on April 20 to seek medical treatment after he started experiencing worsening respiratory symptoms whilst in Accra,” the statement added.
Enhanced testing
The Public Health Emergency Management Committee, based on technical advice has, therefore, sanctioned the mass testing of groups with relatively higher risks in order for the region to get a firmer grasp of the transmission of the virus in emerging hot spots.
The University of Health and Allied Sciences was recently certified and has commenced testing for COVID-19 to boost the region’s response activities.
Dr Letsa stated that further steps have been taken in collaboration with other stakeholders to rapidly expand the capacity of the laboratory.
The Northern Region has confirmed two more COVID-19 cases bringing its total cases to 15.
The Northern Regional Health Director, Dr. John B. Eleeza, who confirmed this to DGN Online, said the new cases involved a male and female from the Nanumba south and Tolon districts respectively.
He revealed that the two patients are part of contact tracing done in the various districts.
“ We took their samples and sent it to the lab and it came back positive.â€
According to Dr. Eleeza, the patients have been isolated by health officials at their various districts to commence treatment.
The cases in the Northern region was thirteen which included eight Guineans, two Burkinabes and three Ghanaians.
However, two Burkinabes who tested positive for Covid-19 at the Tamale Teaching Hospital have been treated and discharged from the health facility.
The Burkinabes tested positive when they came to the Tamale Teaching Hospital for dialysis.
“The Burkinabes were patients in our hospital and once we finished treating them , we let them go .â€Dr. Eleeza disclosed
The National Service Secretariat has announced, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is currently reviewing its annual processes for national service registration and recruitment. The main purpose is to limit or reduce human contact as much as possible.
Over the years, national service online registration process ends with a validation process which results in huge numbers of applicants trooping to regional and district NSS centres. This resulted in long queues and congestion at these centres.
This annual situation therefore raised concerns about public safety in the wake of the pandemic.
Speaking to The Independent via phone interview, the Deputy Executive Director of NSS, Dr. Gifty Oware Aboagye said her outfit is working with its IT team to create an appropriate alternative or means to ensure a smooth process during the period.
She explained, electronic money transaction and other policies already rolled out are all targeted at ensuring safety of applicants in the wake of the pandemic.
“Applicants are doing more mobile money as part of the registration process. They are resorting to this even more than they go to the bank (ADB) to pay GHC 40.This has drastically reduced their trips to the bank, further limiting their exposure to the virus.â€
Dr. Gifty Oware Aboagye however noted that in due time, more measures from her outfit would be rolled out and the media will be reliably informed.
The National Service Scheme (NSS) on April 24, 2020, released a total of 111,613 PIN Codes, to enable all eligible Ghanaian final year students from accredited tertiary institutions in the country, enrol in mandatory national service scheme for the 2020/2021 service year.
The Independent Ghana is reliably informed, drinking spots/bars in Konongo in the Asante Akyem North Municipal Assembly of the Ashanti Region, have gone against orders by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, as they operate drinking spots in the municipality.
According to the gentleman who hails from Konongo and spoke to The Independent on condition of anonymity, even though people are not patronizing these spots in huge numbers, due to the fear of contracting the deadly Coronavirus, all drinking spots are functioning.
He authoritatively indicated, as at Saturday May 2, 2020, when he visited some drinking spots in Ahenebronum, a suburb in Konongo, all were busy, without practicing any of the COVID-19 protocols to that effect.
It will be recalled, the President of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in accordance to Executive Instrument 64 on March 15, 2020, banned all forms of social gatherings including church services, funerals (unless it is a private funeral with no more than 25 people), weddings, night clubs, etc.
He also placed a partial lockdown on Greater Accra, Greater Kumasi, Tema and Kasoa, as a containment measure to prevent or slow down a further spread of the virus.
Although the partial lockdown imposed on various parts in the country has been lifted, all other orders including social gatherings are still in full force, including operating of beaches and drinking spots.
President Akufo-Addo made this known during his 8th address to the nation on Sunday, April 26, 2020.
The extension came into full force on Monday, April 27, 2020, at 1:00 am, and reiterated that the decision followed a strong consensus from some stakeholders in the country.
“The strong consensus that emerged from these and other consultations is that the existing measures must be maintained for now, until we have a firm grip on the movement of the virus. This consensus is supported by data and science, and I am also very much of this view. I have, accordingly, by Executive Instrument, extended for another two (2) weeks the suspension of all public and social gatherings, as set out in E.I 64 of 15th March 2020, effective tomorrow, 1 am, Monday, 27th April.
As at now, schools and borders remain closed and as has also urged all Muslims to pray at home during the month of Ramadan.
The Ministry of Health also issued a directive for Ghanaians to wear masks in public places to prevent the spread of the virus but all these are not properly adhered to by patrons of drinking spots in the Konongo Municipality.
The Independent is therefore appealing to appropriate authorities to do what is needful to avoid an outbreak of COVID-19 in Konongo.
Meanwhile, our source has given credit to the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of the district for ensuring strict social distancing protocols in market places, mandatory wearing of face masks and the presence of hand washing facilities.
The Independent is also informed that the weekly market day, every Tuesday, is conducted by directing traders to come in turns. That way, the issue of congestion in the market is a thing of the past.
Access Bank Plc says it plans to cut salaries of its staff in Nigeria to avoid job losses due to the impact the novel coronavirus is having on their operations.
Staff of Access Bank who spoke to Bloomberg on anonymity because they have been warned not to publicly comment on the issue said the reductions are expected to start from May and some management will get as much as a 40% cut.
The employees who were briefed on the matter during a conference call were told the reductions will not take effect if business conditions improve.
According to Bloomberg, banks in Nigeria are facing the threat of rising bad-debt levels as a crash in oil prices and the risk of a naira devaluation coincide with COVID-19 pandemic has shuttered businesses.
Access Bank acquired rival Diamond Bank Plc last year and had 6,898 permanent staff at the end of 2019, according to a presentation on its website.
The acquisition partly contributed to a 31% increase in operating expenses.
Personnel, recruitment and training costs account for more than a third of overheads after the deal boosted employee numbers and resulted in “wage harmonization†across the businesses.
The Private Universities Students Association of Ghana (PUSAG) says it will not be advisable for the Ministry of Education to permit public Universities to organise an online end of semester examination for students across the country.
According to the group the policy could be discriminatory as many of the students studying in private universities and other university colleges will be left out.
The group is also lamenting what they term as the neglect of private university students by the government in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
PUSAG says all interventions from the education ministry so far including the e-learning platforms have only benefited a few public universities.
“We are of the strong conviction that the government has neglected us in its plans towards combating this novel coronavirus†PUSAG President Aswel Annan told Class News adding that “ because a lot of packages have been announced for SMEs in this country and we believe that as private universities we also in a way help government to ensure that ordinary Ghanaian students have access to tertiary education. So, we want to indeed plead with the government to come out with modalities to ensure the smooth running of private universities at this critical momentâ€.
Mr Annan also noted that as the academic calendar draws to a close, many public universities have issued notice that end of semester examinations will be online but Private Universities Students Association is of the view that the Ministry of Education would have to come to the aid of over 50 members because the move could be discriminatory against private universities who are finding it difficult to smoothly run their activities in the wake of the outbreak.
“Not all private university students in Ghana have access to the internet and most of them are also in remote areas and we all know that internet connectivity and electricity in Ghana are not stable so you can imagine when someone has low battery or there is no light at where students are and at that time it been scheduled for them to take the exams, they will find it difficult to access the internet. So, we think that writing exams online is not advisable and we think most of the private universities would be left outâ€.
The Institute of Directors Ghana (IoD Gh) has called for the improvement of digital infrastructure to enable the corporate environment to survive the current pandemic’s toll on human activity.
Mr Rockson Dogbegah, President of the Institute who made the call during an induction ceremony held online for April 2020 cohorts, said the coronavirus got the world clinging tightly to digital platforms, and that the structures must be reviewed and prepared for the times.
“Extra investment in digital infrastructure cannot be avoided. We may have to relook at our budget lines and pay a lot of attention to improving our digital infrastructure. I believe strongly that the use of the digital platform will become a new normal”, he said.
Mr Dogbegah said the pandemic had driven directors and corporate heads to bend their creativity towards ensuring the sustainability of businesses and requires them to most importantly exhibit the right leadership to inspire hope and success.
“Even though it has brought a huge negative impact on our health and socio-economic lives, it has also forced us to start thinking creatively and innovatively to ensure business continuity. This is where as Directors we are most needed. We must try to offer the appropriate ethical and effective leadership that inspires hope and confidence to ensure business continuity and success”, he said.
“It is my considered opinion that to be a winner one must reorient oneself and be creative, innovative and get a stronghold on your strategy”, he stated.
The President asked directors to maneuver around challenges to corporate activities caused by the pandemic through trustworthy correspondence with stakeholders.
“There will be a trust deficit amongst stakeholders due to the mega disruptions caused by the pandemic which has halted productivity across value chains which may make it impossible to meet some of your obligations. This calls for sincere open conversation with all stakeholders.
“In all of these, we will expect that you show true ethical and effective leadership”, he said, reminding them to also consider as paramount, the health and safety of work personnel.
Mr Fred Aryeetey, Chief Executive Officer of the Institute encouraged all the new members to patronize the Institute’s virtual platform.
A total of 37 members were inducted, having been undertaken online orientation on corporate governance.
The Upper Denkyirah West District Assembly in consultation with the District Security Council (DISEC) has suspended the Diaso Wednesday Market day until further notice.
The action is to enforce proper social distancing in the market particularly on the market days.
Mr. Agyemang Asiedu, the District Chief Executive (DCE) in an interview with Ghana News Agency, said the Diaso weekly market accommodates traders from the nearby Regions and District who have reported cases of the COVID19.
He mentioned that traders from Amenfi Central and West, Bibiani Anhwiaso Bekwai, Sefwi Wiawso, Amenfi East and others come to the Diaso Wednesday Market which has made it difficult for the assembly to enforce the social distancing protocols, hence the suspension.
Mr Asiedu said the assembly has put in place measures to ensure all the COVID- 19 directives and protocols were observed, especially social distancing at markets.
He said traders were initially educated to ensure the markets were not crowded in compliance with the social distancing protocols, but it never worked, hence the decision to suspend the market days.
Mr. Asiedu Agyemang advised, the people to adhere to all the directives, warning that anyone caught flouting the arrangement would face the rigours of the law.
He said “The security services would partner the assembly to ensure compliance of the directives to fight the COVID-19“.
He said though the district has not recorded any case yet, it would still adhere to all the protocols put in place and urged all, especially passengers and traders to wear nose masks, use hand sanitizers and ensure social distancing.
Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), the Chamber of Petroleum Consumers (COPEC), and the Institute of Energy Security (IES), have all supported calls by the Managing Director of the Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation (BOST), Edwin Provencal, that the margin should be increased.
According to the CSOs, if the margin is increased, BOST can be in a position to hedge its prices to ensure stability in fuel prices in the country in the wake of the COVID-19.
Mr Provencal has said there is the need for the BOST margin in the petroleum price build-up to be increased from 3 pesewas to 12 pesewas.
He made these remarks when he met some Civil Society Organizations in the energy sector and a cross section of the media in Tema.
He said: “You can see that a lot of our infrastructure are old. Some of them are as old as 26 years. A lot of them have broken down. We have almost 4 tanks here, which are out of service and we need money to fix them.
“Now the BOST margin was solely meant for infrastructure maintenance. In 2011, the BOST margin was given to us at 3 pesewas. We are in 2020, some 9 years down the line where the dollar value has depreciated by 75%, but we are still getting the same 3 pesewas. That is why the infrastructure is falling apart,†he said.
“Now we have to do something about it. We cannot, as Ghanaians leave this strategic asset to rot away. We are trying our best but we need help, hence the cry for help and for Ghanaians to support the increment of the BOST margin from 3 pesewas to at least some 12 pesewas if possible, so that we can deliver our mandate to the people of Ghana, †he added.
He further noted that, “In total, we would need about 150 million dollars to fix our infrastructure, but I mean we are not asking all of that from the government. All we are asking from the government is that it should give us the BOST margin so we can be equipped to maintain the existing infrastructure.â€
He, however, says there is a plan to upgrade and automate the whole depot to improve efficiency.
“There are other projects we have to do, like upgrade and automate the whole depot which comes to about 47 million dollars. The other small projects that we have to undertake to enhance the efficiency of the depot also cost about 20 something million dollars. Those ones we can engage appropriate funding sources for some money because the projects can pay back,†he said.
Executive Director of COPEC Duncan Amoah stated. “The only assurance we need is that whatever additional resource that government would have to pump in, whatever resources Ghanaians would add together to give to BOST, we would need that assurance that 6 months or 1 year from now, if we were to come back here to do this field trip or visit, the story here would be different.
“Where you would not find either of the tanks rusting or decommissioned and are not working and pipelines that should have been upgraded to about 12 inches, are still doing 6 and 8 inches. That means that your flow rate is going to be quite low and that means you will lose all your competitive edge that you would have had in the downstream,
“We are tempted to say that the new BOST agenda that the new MD is introducing could go far on condition that he will do as he says, on condition that other politicians will stay away and allow him the free hand to operate professionally.
“We have said that once BOST is sound, the incessant increase in fuel prices that we witness on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and even on public holidays would be managed. As a country this is the best company in Ghana that can hedge,†he added.
For his part, IES Executive Director, Paa Kwasi Anamua-Sakyi said the government must divert the prize stabilization levy to BOST.
“If they mean what they say, it would be a good call for all Ghanaians to support. One other thing we have come to realize as a Civil Society Organization from the desk of IES is that, the price stabilization recovery levy has not been able to stabilize prices for us.
“The low prices we see today is just coming from the gains we have gotten from the world market, and so we may consider or government can consider diverting this price stabilization recovery levy to BOST, so that they can have enough funds to procure fuel, maintain their tanks and store enough fuel to manage both supply and price risk.â€
Ebenezer Osei Bonsu, the individual who designed the Ebenezer Bucket, has presented a prototype to Citi TV/FM.
The gesture according to him is to show appreciation to the station for their support and for believing in him.
Speaking to Citi News after presenting the Ebenezer bucket to the station, Ebenezer Osei Bonsu called on the government to give support to individuals who have made extraordinary strides in the fight against COVID-19.
Receiving the Ebenezer bucket on behalf of the station, Citi TV/FM Administrative Manager, Matthew Idun expressed gratitude to the inventor for presenting the prototype version to the station.
He was optimistic that the Ebenezer Bucket will help reduce the spread of the virus since one does not need to touch any nob for water to flow.
Ebenezer Bucket
The Ebenezer bucket was designed by Ebenezer Osei Bonsu who resides in Gomoa Nyayanno Kakraba in the Gomoa East District of the Central Region.
Unlike other hand-washing buckets where one has to touch the nob of a tap for water to flow the “Ebenezer bucket†is different and is operated through the use of a paddle which allows for water to flow thus reducing infection.
With the help and support of his family, Ebenezer Osei Bonsu was able to build the Ebenezer bucket.
Speaking about his motivation, he indicated that the high cost of the Veronica bucket prompted him to come up with his own version of the bucket with some adjustments.
According to him, he bought the materials needed for the production of his bucket adding that although it was not easy coming up with the initiative it has paid off.
“It was not easy starting this business but we were able to go through it successfully. I believe if I get some form of financial support from the government and other individuals it will help me do more,†he told Citi News.
According to him the prices of the bucket ranges depending on what the client wants and how he wants it.
“The prices of the bucket ranges from 300.00 cedis depending on the designs a client wants†he added.
Seventeen more persons have recovered from the Coronavirus (COVID-19) bringing Ghana’s total number of recoveries to 229.
The latest update by the Ghana Health Service today (Saturday, May 2, 2020) also shows that one more person has died bring the total of death to 18.
Meanwhile, the total number of Coronavirus cases in Ghana has risen to 2,169
In Ghana, persons are only discharged once they have undergone the mandatory two (2) tests to determine if they have also recovered from the virus or otherwise.
The Navrongo Reference Laboratory in the Upper East Region will soon be added to the centres carrying out tests for complex infectious diseases such as Coronavirus and Cerebrospinal Meningitis (CSM) in the country.
This, according to a Deputy Minister of Health, Dr. Bernard Okoe-Boye, is part of measures to get more testing centres in the country to ease the pressure on Noguchi Memorial Institute of Medical Research and the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research (KCCR).
The two have been the main laboratories testing samples from across the country for coronavirus since the outbreak of the pandemic in the country.
Addressing parliament, Dr. Okoe-Boye stated that “I am happy to say that apart from Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research in Accra and KCCR in Kumasi, the Akufo-Addo government has worked hard to ensure that within these few weeks, Korle-Bu public health reference laboratory and the UHAS laboratory in the Volta Region have been added to the centres for doing COVID-19 tests. Very soon, Navrongo Reference Laboratory and other facilities will be equipped to add on to our diagnostic capacities for CSM, COVID-19 and other disease conditions regarding modern sophisticated laboratories with the capacity to do Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests.â€
This announcement comes after several calls by the Upper East Regional Health Directorate for a testing centre for the coronavirus at the Navrongo Research Centre in the Kassena-Nankana Municipality.
The Regional Director of Health Services, Dr. Winfred Ofosu earlier stated that “There will be another centre in Tamale for us but we are also pushing the Ministry of Health and the Presidential COVID-19 committee to establish a testing centre at the Navrongo Research centre because we have got the relevant equipment.â€
He explained that government had asked the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research (KCCR) to send engineers “to come and set it up and if that is done, in the next two weeks, we will not need to suffer to send specimens and get results in on time within 24 hours.â€
The University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) Laboratory in Ho started testing COVID-19 samples after a similar upgrade earlier this week.
The Institute of Directors-Ghana (IoD-Gh) has inducted 37 new members after an on-line orientation session for direct admissions.
Mr Rockson K. Dogbegah, President of the Institute, in his induction speech, cautioned the inductees to exhibit true ethical leadership, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic not to be losers.
He said it was necessary for the inductees to re-orient themselves and be creative and innovative so they could get strong hold of their strategies and be at the winning side after the pandemic.
Mr Dogbegah congratulated them for successfully completing the orientation, which was a key requirement to become members of the Institute.
He said though the pandemic made it impossible for them to meet face to face and also negatively affected the health and socio-economic lives of the people, “it has also forced us to start thinking creatively and innovatively to ensure business continuity.”
Mr Dogbegah said it was necessary for directors to provide the appropriate ethical and effective leadership that would inspire hope and confidence and to ensure business continuity and success at this difficult moment.
He said this was the time to hold in high esteem the health and safety of employees and also invest more in area of digital infrastructure for continuity of business.
“There will be trust deficit amongst stakeholders due to the mega disruptions caused by the pandemic, which has halted productivity across value chains, which may make it impossible to meet some of your obligations,” he stated.
Mr Dogbegah urged the inductees to be good Ambassadors of the Institute so that its mandate of creating awareness on best practices in Corporate Governance and to champion excellence in directorship would be achieved.
Mr Fred Aryeetey, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Institute entreated the new members to patronize the Institute’s virtual platform.
The participants were taken through topics such as Board dynamics, Conflicting roles of the Board, Challenges of a Board, Features of Winning Companies, Failing and underperforming companies, Forces leading to change in Director Performance, Board Ethics and, Shareholder evaluation.
The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) is raising an alert over the use of Naphthalene (commonly called Camphor of Mothbalts) for the prevention and treatment of Covid-19.
The Authority in a statement signed by its Chief Executive Officer, Delese A.A. Darko, said a viral audio on social media was suggesting the inhalation of vapour from Naphthalene for the prevention and treatment of Coronavirus.
In the said audio, the speaker claimed he was speaking from Amponsah Herbal Centre in Holland and advises the listeners to inhale the vapour produced by camphor dissolved in hot water for the prevention and treatment of Covid-19.
“The FDA would like to inform Ghanaians that camphor is an insecticide and produces a toxic gas which repels and kills Insects.â€
The vapour produced by camphor in this way elicits a toxic gas which should not be inhaled under any circumstances, †the statement said.
Warning the public against its use, the FDA said when the vapour produced is inhaled, the body breaks it down into other chemicals that react with cells in the body and damage tissues.
“This can cause skin and eye irritation, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps and diarrhoea.
Other effects of inhalation of the vapour produced by camphor are confusion excitement, convulsions. severe anaemia and renal shutdown, “it warned.
The FDA said there is no such proven treatment for Covid-19 and advised the public to stay calm and follow the measures announced by the Ministry of Health.
The measures include frequent washing of hands with soap under running water, the use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers, wearing of face or nose masks regularly and maintain social distancing while avoiding touching the eyes, nose and mouth.
“Stay home and only go out if absolutely necessary,†the statement advised.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has assured Ghanaians his administration will intensify the implementation of the four-point national strategy on formalisation to facilitate the identification and provision of support, relief and stimulus packages to businesses and workers in these difficult times.
The president also assured organised labour that the government will continue to deepen its engagement with them, as we try to mitigate the adverse impact of COVID-19 on the economy, businesses and jobs.
He gave the assurances when he addressed a closed-door May Day celebration on Friday, May 1, 2020.
He urged Ghanaians to continue to sacrifice so that we do not have to bear a greater cost in the future. All sections of society must see this sacrifice as a common effort to defeat this common enemy.
The president said, “steps at increasing further our testing capacity have been taken, with the coming on stream of the Veterinary Laboratory in Accra, the Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research Laboratory also in Accra, the University of Health and Allied Sciences in Ho, and the Veterinary Laboratory in Pong-Tamale, to aid the labours of the Noguchi Research Institute, the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research, and the National Public Health Reference Laboratory at the Korle-bu Teaching Hospital.”
He added, “A number of isolation, quarantine and treatment facilities have also been identified across the country for use. The nation is profoundly grateful to the Church of Pentecost for the generous, Christian gesture of making available its multipurpose Convention Centre, at Gomoa Fetteh, as an isolation centre which can house over one thousand (1,000) persons and three hundred (300) medical staff.â€
He continued: “It is important for every Ghanaian to note that the more people we test for the virus, the more persons we will discover as positive, and, thus, have the opportunity to isolate and treat them. The implementation of this strategy of tracing, testing and treating is our surest way of rooting out the virus.
As I have stated, time and again, all the measures put in place to combat the spread of the disease are under constant review, and Government will not hesitate to cordon, impose a curfew, trace, test, and treat persons in communities where we are witnessing the significant spread of infections.
I will continue to urge all of us to continue to practice social distancing, wash our hands with soap under running water, refrain from shaking hands, and, wear our masks whenever we leave our homes. Businesses and other workplaces should operate, and observe staff management and workplace protocols of social distancing. This applies equally forcefully to public transport operators and users of our market places. We must observe these measures religiously, as they are the weapons of our battle against the virus.â€
A young man (name withheld) who tested positive to the deadly Coronavirus and in isolation at the Pentecost Convention Centre has bemoaned what he termed as ill-treatment of persons who been isolated at the facility.
Speaking in an interview on ‘Nyankonton Mu Nsem’ on Rainbow Radio 87.5Fm, the young man alleged that they are being fed with contaminated food and living under inhumane conditions.
According to him, they are over 300 persons in isolation. However, they are using only four bathhouses and sharing three toilets, a situation he lamented could worsen the outbreak.
The patient said they have also been neglected without any form of treatment.
To him, the patients who been isolated at the facility are more at risk if authorities fail to take action over the concerns he raised.
â€The risk here is high. You will come here thinking of treatment for coronavirus but you could equally leave with another medical condition. This is scary and unfortunate.â€
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has said as of Thursday, 30 April 2020, Ghana has “conducted a total of one hundred and thirteen thousand, four hundred and ninety-seven (113,497) tests†for COVID-19, “the most per million people of any country in Africa, with two thousand, and seventy-four (2,074) testing positiveâ€, noting that as the country conducts more tests, more positive cases would be found and isolated in time to curb the spread.
In his May Day speech on Friday, 1 May 2020, he said: “Our recoveries have increased from one hundred and eighty-eight (188) to two hundred and twelve (212), and the number of deaths, sadly, stands at seventeen (17)â€.
“Our positivity rate has gone up marginally from 1.5% to 1.8%, six (6) persons are critically ill, and one thousand, eight hundred and thirty-nine (1,839) persons are well and responding to treatment in health facilities or are being managed from home.
“This, in effect, means that there is, presently, no big pressure on our healthcare facilities to manage these cases. We pray to God it stays that wayâ€.
According to him, “steps at increasing further our testing capacity have been taken, with the coming on stream of the Veterinary Laboratory in Accra, the Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research Laboratory also in Accra, the University of Health and Allied Sciences in Ho, and the Veterinary Laboratory in Pong-Tamale, to aid the labours of the Noguchi Research Institute, the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research, and the National Public Health Reference Laboratory at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospitalâ€.
The President also said isolation, quarantine and treatment facilities have been identified across the country for use.
“The nation is profoundly grateful to the Church of Pentecost for the generous, Christian gesture of making available its multipurpose Convention Centre, at Gomoa Fetteh, as an isolation centre which can house over one thousand (1,000) persons and three hundred (300) medical staffâ€, he said.
“It is important for every Ghanaianâ€, the President said, “to note that the more people we test for the virus, the more persons we will discover as positive, and, thus, have the opportunity to isolate and treat them. The implementation of this strategy of tracing, testing and treating is our surest way of rooting out the virusâ€.
Mr Akufo-Addo reiterated that should there be a need for stricter measures to contain the spread, his government would not hesitate to impose them.
“As I have stated, time and again, all the measures put in place to combat the spread of the disease are under constant review, and the government will not hesitate to cordon [off], impose a curfew, trace, test, and treat persons in communities where we are witnessing the significant spread of infections.
“I will continue to urge all of us to continue to practise social-distancing, wash our hands with soap under running water, refrain from shaking hands, and, wear our masks whenever we leave our homes. Businesses and other workplaces should operate, and observe staff management and workplace protocols of social distancing. This applies equally forcefully to public transport operators and users of our market places. We must observe these measures religiously, as they are the weapons of our battle against the virus.
“With the suspension of all public gatherings still in force, and our schools closed, Government has taken the decision to extend further, the closure of our borders for a month, effective 1am on Monday, 4th May, until Sunday, 31st May. We know that the overwhelming majority of positive cases came from travellers or contacts of travellers. So, we have no option but to keep our borders closed until we are confident that we have put in place measures to prevent travellers from importing the virus.
“These restrictions cannot and will not be a permanent feature of our lives, but they are, for now, essential to our survival. As I said last Sunday, I shall be outlining, shortly, the steps for, systematically, easing the restrictive measures to bring us back to normality.
The President also urged Ghanaians to stop stigmatising recovered patients.
“I would plead with you stop the stigmatisation of recovered persons as it will rather drive people away from getting screened, tested and treated. The stigmatisation of recovered persons must not go on, because if the virus did not end their lives and livelihoods, the stigma from members of their communities should not. The overwhelming majority of them will continue to live perfectly normal lives, and cease to be sources of infections.â€
As part of efforts to support the Ghana Health Service in the fight against the spread of the COVID-19Coronavirus disease in Ghana, the Western Regional Chapter of Mfantsipim Old Boys Association (MOBA-WR) has donated assorted items valued at 5,000 cedis to the Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital in Sekondi.
Presenting the items which include, surgical gloves, face masks, sanitisers, tissue paper, detergents and Veronica buckets to the hospital, the Vice President of the Chapter, William Brown-Orleans said, the decision to equip the region’s biggest health facility falls in line with the school’s philosophy of “Dwen Hw? Kan” which is a clarion call on Africans to be proactive by thinking and planning for the future.
He said, Mfantsipim alumni in the region have also made cash contributions to the National COVID-19 Fund through their national association to complement government’s efforts in battling the pandemic.
The Medical Director at the hospital, Dr. Joseph Kojo Tambil, lauded MOBA WR for the gesture and called on other organisations to assist the health sector through similar donations.
He described the donation as a timely intervention, noting that the facility faced a shortfall in stock of some of the personal protective equipment (PPE) provided.
The Navrongo Reference Laboratory in the Upper East Region is set to be upgraded to be able to test for complex infectious diseases such as COVID-19 and Cerebrospinal Meningitis (CSM).
This is according to a Deputy Minister of Health, Dr. Bernard Okoe Boye.
This forms part of measures to make more testing centres available in the country to ease the burden on Noguchi Memorial Institute of Medical Research and the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research (KCCR) which have since the COVID-19 outbreak in Ghana been the main laboratories testing samples for across the country for the virus.
Dr. Okoe Boye, while addressing parliament said “I am happy to say that apart from Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research in Accra and KCCR in Kumasi, the Akufo-Addo government has worked hard to ensure that within these few weeks, Korle-Bu public health reference laboratory and the UHAS laboratory in the Volta Region have been added to the centres for doing COVID-19 tests. Very soon, Navrongo Reference Laboratory and other facilities will be equipped to add on to our diagnostic capacities for CSM, COVID-19 and other disease conditions regarding modern sophisticated laboratories with the capacity to do Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests.â€
The Upper East Regional Health Directorate has been pushing for a testing centre for the novel coronavirus at the Navrongo Research Centre in the Kassena-Nankana Municipality.
The Regional Director of Health Services, Dr. Winfred Ofosu said, “There will be another centre in Tamale for us but we are also pushing the Ministry of Health and the Presidential COVID-19 committee to establish a testing centre at the Navrongo Research centre because we have got the relevant equipment.â€
“They have agreed and have actually asked the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research (KCCR) to send their engineers to come and set it up and if that is done, in the next two weeks, we will not need to suffer to send specimens and get results in on time within 24 hours,†he explained.
The University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) Laboratory in Ho earlier this week started testing COVID-19 samples after a similar upgrade.
Coronavirus in Ghana
The number of COVID-19 cases in Ghana as at Friday, May 1, 2020 stood at 2,074.
The number of recovered persons were also 212 while 17 people had died from the disease.
Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and the Majority Leader in parliament, Hon. Osie Kyei Mensah Bonsu, has asked the government to focus more on contact tracing in order to curb the spread of the Coronavirus
According to him, the scaling up of the contact tracing will help arrest the community spread of the virus, other than that the country will be at risk of having more people infected.
Speaking on Okay FM’s ‘Ade Akye Abia’ program, he applauded the Ministry of Health and the COVID-19 team, saying they are doing tremendously well in helping fight the virus.
However, he has appealed that Psychologists be added to the contact tracing team to have them counsel people who will be tested positive for the virus on the need to observe safety precautions and self-isolation.
Ghana has so far tested about 113,497 people.
Ghana’s COVID-19 case count is now 2,074, according to the Ghana Health Service (GHS).
The number of recoveries has increased to 212 with 17 deaths.
This adds 403 new positive cases since the Ministry’s last update on Tuesday, April 28, 2020.
There has also been an additional 24 recoveries and one (1) more death.
While the Ministry of Health and Ghana Health Service have put in a lot of efforts in sensitizing Ghanaians about the deadly coronavirus, it seems others are yet to accept that coronavirus is real.
To contain the spread of the virus, the Minister of Health by the Public Health Act, 2012 (Act 851) has directed the wearing of nose masks by all and sundry to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
Section 170(1) of the Act clothes the Minister with powers to order an individual to take a preventive measure in respect of public health matters.
In a report filed by UTV Ghana and monitored by GhanaWeb, at the Aflao border in the Volta Region, some residents in the area, continue to flout the directive, citing a variety of reasons, including a claim that their gods have assured them of no coronavirus in the area.
A commercial motorcyclist popularly known as Okada rider has debunked the existence of COVID-19 in the area, citing assurance by traditional deities in the area, adding that the nose mask also makes breathing difficult.
He reiterated that although he has one, he barely uses it since the oracle has confirmed that the virus does not exist.
“Me my juju say, that thing they say coronavirus, that thing ebi illegal. That thing ebi fake things. So me I get juju where edey talk me true… My juju say make I no use this thing,” he said in Pidgin to the UTV reporter.
Other drivers who spoke to UTV attributed their behaviour of non-compliance to financial constraints.
The Judicial Service Staff Association of Ghana (JUSAG) has called on workers to use the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) as a means to introduce innovations and also improve their way of work.
In its May Day message signed by its President, Mr Alex Nartey, the association said COVID-19 had shown that things could not be done as normal as it used to be.
“As workers, the breath of life in these trying times should help us chart new ways or improve on the things we do.
“It will not be enough to say that COVID-19 has or will affect the livelihood of the nation and yet fail to take the steps necessary to alleviate or lessen the burden. Today, we are familiar with working-from-home, e-learning, online sales and the rest. Chasing and waiting for the Director or officer in-charge is becoming a thing of the past,†the association said in the message.
Judiciary
JUSAG particularly called on its members and other officers of the judicial service to adapt to the e-justice system to improve on justice delivery processes during the difficult period.
According to the JUSAG, protection of fundamental human rights was crucial during this period, and, therefore, it was important for the judiciary to continue to play its role passionately even in the midst of challenges brought about by COVID-19.
“Judges, magistrates, registrars, accountants and all members of the Judicial Service must ensure that justice is not only done but must be manifestly and undoubtedly seen to be done,†the statement added.
The association also reiterated the need for the government to enhance the salaries and allowances of its members to enable them to meet the challenging times.
Obey directives
JUSAG further called on Ghanaians to obey all the health directives meant to contain the virus.
“We must wash our hands with soap under running water or use alcohol-based hand sanitiser, wear nose masks, and where possible stay at home.
“We also salute our frontline workers and hope for an immediate vaccine. It is our prayer that this too shall pass,†the statement concluded.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has pledged to do everything within his means to protect the lives of citizens in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
According to him, nothing else matters than to put an end to this pandemic and rebuild the economy once again as the leader of the country.
He reiterated his commitment saying “No country on earth has been spared the ravages of this virus, and my single-minded goal is how to steer the country out of this crisis, protect our population from the virus, and see to the rebuilding of our economy. Nothing else matters for me.â€
Commending workers as the country celebrates May Day today, President Akufo-Addo said he appreciates the efforts and sacrifices workers have made towards the progress of this nation.
According to him, it is the collective responsibility of every worker in the country to help with the fight against the virus by planning a course that will take us to the path of sustained growth, progress, and prosperity.
“Today, our nation requires its active involvement in this fight against the pandemic, and I call upon all working people to step forward again. I am confident that together if we remain united and resolute and maintain discipline and self-discipline, we shall defeat this virus,†he noted.
A group of people who have been kept in Isolation at the Pentecost Convention Centre at Gomoa Fetteh have bemoaned the poor conditions they have to endure during their stay at the centre.
Complaining about things such as the food served to both persons in isolation and medical officers, the people in a video shared with www.ghanaweb.com, are calling on government to allow them to return to their homes none of them is sick.
They say they are tired of the hard conditions at the centre.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is dealing with the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in Ghana with good and strong measures, a communicator of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Kwame Asafo Adjei has said.
He said these measures outlined by Mr Akufo-Asddo has been hailed by world and African leaders
Speaking on the Ghana Yensom show on Accra 100.5FM Friday, May 1, he said: “All of us are witnesses to the good measures and policies President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has put in place to deal with the pandemic.
“These measures have attracted a lot of commendation from world leaders and also African leaders,†he said.
He added: “Some bold decisions were taken by the president including the closure of borders and other entry points into the country,†he told show host Kwabena Prah Jnr (The Don).
Meanwhile, President Akufo-Addo has said he took robust and drastic measures which included the closure of the borders, as part of the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic because, in his view, a weaker response would certainly threaten the lives and livelihood of Ghanaians.
He noted that the impact of COVID-19 cannot be underestimated, hence the tough measures he adopted.
Speaking in the studios of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) on May Day, the President said: “As government and social partners, it is our collective responsibility to chart our own course out of this pandemicâ€.
“It is obvious that a weak response to COVID-19 will jeopardise the gains made to create a buoyant economy and will worsen the lives and livelihood s of all Ghanaians.â€
The President also said he has charged Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta to work with the Bank of Ghana (BoG) to draft a policy that will further strengthen the industry and the agriculture sectors of the economy to mitigate and fix the economic damage done by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The President said his administration is determined to deal with the economic impact of the pandemic through innovative ways.
Mr Akufo-Addo said: “Discussions are ongoing with the World Bank to raise more funds which should be completed soonâ€.
“I have charged the Minister of Finance to work with the Bank of Ghana to design innovative policies and find more resources to strengthen the productive sectors of the economy, particularly industry and agriculture. I understand that the process will shortly yield positive results.â€
He added: “The Minister of Finance and his South African counterpart, are leading the efforts of African ministers of finance to take debt reliefs for our economies.
“The World Bank has granted a debt repayment standstill for the next nine months, which will result in our delayed principal interest payments totalling $500 million.â€
Mr Akufo-Addo further said that job creation is a priority for his government.
Twenty-three Burkinabes who entered Ghana through unapproved routes at Nandom in the Upper West Region were arrested and repatriated by personnel of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), on Wednesday.
The migrants were arrested at the Babile Checkpoint by the GIS personnel when the buses on which they were travelling were impounded.
In an interview with the Ghanaian Times at Wa, on Wednesday, the Regional Public Relations Officer for the GIS, Immigration Control Officer, ICO Ibn Yussif Duranah Abdul-Mumin Seidu, said the personnel initially arrested three males on Monday in a minibus with registration number AE-3062-13 en route to Techiman in the Bono Region.
He said that the remaining 20 migrants who were aged between 18 and 25, were arrested on Tuesday onboard an OA bus with registration number GR-6499-09.
ICO Seidu said the migrants upon interrogation, revealed that they were travelling to Techiman and Sampa as well as Kumasi in the Bono and Ashanti Regions respectively.
“The migrants were transported to Hamile on Wednesday to enable the sector command at the main Ghana-Burkina Border, conduct the necessary health screening and repatriate them immediately,†he stated.
ICO Seidu asked residents living along the border to collaborate with the service to ensure that the country was protected from needless spread of the Coronavirus.
He said the command was poised for action and would not compromise on its vigilance nor relent in its efforts at protecting the citizenry.
Ghana closed its sea, land and air borders on March 22, 2020 following a directive by the President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
The Tamale Teaching Hospital has commenced testing of Covid-19 samples for Northern, Savannah, Upper West, Upper East and North East regions in Tamale in the Northern region.
Head of the Tamale Testing Center at the Tamale Teaching Hospital, Dr. Abass Abdul Karim told DGN Online that the facility can test between 300-600 samples daily.
He indicated that they have received 250 samples so far for testing today.
Dr. Karim noted that 35 health personnel from the Ghana Health Service, Tamale Teaching Hospital and University for Development Studies (UDS) have been trained to work at the facility.
The five regions of the North had to rely on Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) , Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research (KCCR) and Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research testing.
The Northern Regional Minister, Salifu Saeed, who inspected the testing center before its commencement , expressed satisfaction with regards to the modern equipment installed in the facility.
He noted that the Northern regional health directorate spent huge sums of monies for testing in Accra and Kumasi, adding that the center will be a relief for the region.
Mr. Saeed encouraged the health personnel to give up their best for the fight against the Covid-19 virus.
He urged the people of the North to adhere to the directives of the president to prevent the spread of the virus.
The Minister thanked Unicef for supporting government to setup the testing center in Tamale.
In a related development, the Ghana Water Company Limited in the Northern region led by its regional manager Eng. Aminu Musah donated 200 packs of G-water to the Tamale Teaching Hospital as part of its contribution to help fight against the covid-19 virus in the region.
Daboya-Mankarigu MP, Mahama Shaibu has petitioned the Attorney General Gloria Akuffo over State Institutions donating to the COVID-19 Trust Fund.
The NDC MP argues that public institutions have no standing to donate the monies to the Covid-19 Trust Fund.
In a letter to the AG, he requested that monies donated to the Covid-19 Trust Fund by state bodies be refunded to them.
He said when the fund was set up, the law that backed its establishment said the donations should come from individuals or corporate bodies.
Portions of a letter petitioning the AG read: “In order to play its complementary role, the fund was to receive donations, grants and voluntary contributions from individuals, groups and corporate bodies. It was made manifestly and abundantly clear that the fund as established was not to receive public funds or resourcesâ€. It, therefore, came to me with deep shock and concern when I read in the media that public/state institutions are making donations or voluntary contributions into the Novel Coronavirus.â€
The last bit of the letter said I am of the candid opinion that all such contributions should be returned to the public/state Institutions lest the principal officers and the governing boards of the contributing public/state institutions stand the risk of being dangerous, exposed and potentially liable to be surcharged by the Auditor-General for making illegal or wrongful payments.â€
Residents at the Aflao border are pleading with the government to open all closed borders, an order put in place as a measure in containing the spread of coronavirus in the country.
The residents who spoke to UTV in an interview, mostly made up of commercial drivers, explained that the closure has negatively affected their living conditions.
Against this backdrop, they are pleading with the government to open the borders for them, so that business can resume.
“This job is our job we are doing. Because if the border is opened, you can fit carry person pass the main border and you get small thing. As you dey close the border, if somebody comes, you know where they will fit pass enter Togo but they are not going anywhere again. Since morning I dey here, I no go anywhere. So we pray for our government make he for fo something about the border. If he will open the border small, if we go get something,” he said in Pidgin.
In the report monitored by GhanaWeb, other residents in the area, continue to flout the directive, citing a variety of reasons, including a claim that their gods have assured them of no coronavirus in the area.
A commercial motorcyclist popularly known as Okada rider debunked the existence of COVID-19 in the area, citing assurance by traditional deities in the area, adding that the face mask also makes breathing.
He reiterated that although he has one, he barely uses it since the oracle has confirmed that the virus does not exist.
“Me My juju say, that thing they say coronavirus, that thing ebi illegal. That thing ebi fake things. So me I get juju where edey talk me true… My juju say make I no use this thing,” one of the drivers said in Pidgin to the UTV reporter.
Other drivers who spoke to UTV attributed their behaviour of non-compliance to financial constraints.
Meanwhile, the president this morning extended the closure of Ghana’s borders to May 31, the directive is expected to take effect on Monday, May 4, 2020.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo added that the decision was needed to manage the current local cases recorded in the country.
“…The government has taken the decision to extend further the closure of our borders for a month, effective 1 am on Monday 4th May until Sunday 31st May. We know that the overwhelming majority of positive cases came from travellers or contacts of travellers, so we have no option than to keep our borders closed until we are confident that we have put in place measures to prevent travellers from importing the virus.
Police have arrested four sub-chiefs of Akuapem for flouting social distancing rule and other protocols put in place against the spread of COVID-19, Friday, May 1, 2020.
The four chiefs whose names are not readily known were picked up hours after the installation process of the new Okuapehene had been done at Akropong-Akuapem.
While sitting and making merry over the activities done in the morning, about 10 police officers stormed the meeting of chiefs and announced their intention.
“We have been ordered to come and arrest four of your chiefs who according to information flouted the social distancing protocol against the spread of COVID-19,” one of the police officers said.
In reaction, Chief of Amonorkrom, Osim Kwatia, welcomed the police officers and handed over the four suspects who have been alleged to have masterminded the flouting of the law.
On Friday morning, Kingmakers of Akuapem initiated traditional processes to install their new Okuapehene amidst a thick crowd in total disregard to the social distancing protocol.
The installation processes which took over three hours to be done was well welcomed by the people of Akropong-Akuapem.
The Minister of Education, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, says the reopening date of educational institutions will depend on the expert advice of health professionals managing the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
That, he said, was to ensure that “we have a safe back-to-school processâ€.
“I can assure you that the Ministry of Education, the Ghana Education Service (GES) and the universities are in close and regular contact with the Ghana Health Service and the Ministry of Health,†Dr Prempeh said in a widely publicised letter to students in the country.
Letter
The letter, published in the Thursday, April 30, 2020 edition of the Daily Graphic, is the second to be issued by the minister in a week. The first letter, also published in the April 27, 2020 edition of the Daily Graphic, was addressed to parents.
Schools in Ghana have been closed since Monday, March 16 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Closure
Over the past five weeks, the letter said “your academic work has been disrupted because of the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in our country. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo took the bold and necessary decision to close down our educational institutions to protect you and the nation from this deadly disease which has claimed many lives across the worldâ€.
“I am concerned about your continuous learning, particularly as we near the end of the academic year. I can imagine the uncertainties about reopening dates and examination timetables weighing on your mind and perhaps affecting your preparations, especially for those of you in your final year,†it said.
Platforms
In the meantime, the letter said, the Ministry of Education and the GES had created various platforms for pre-tertiary education on television and online to enable students to continue with structured and self-guided learning activities. “For TV, we are currently broadcasting content for senior high school (SHS) core subjects on the Ghana Learning TV. It is available on free-to-air TV, as well as on DStv channel 315, GOtv channel 150 and StarTimes channel 312. Very soon, we will be broadcasting content for kindergarten (KG) to junior high school (JHS) as well.
“Additionally, we are producing learning content for radio to be broadcast across the country. For online, we have resources available for SHS students on iCampus Ghana which can be accessed via www.icampus. In the near future, content for KG to JHS pupils and students will also be made available on this platform,†it said.
For tertiary students, the letter said various universities were deploying learning systems to help students continue their education remotely, adding that the ministry was aware of the challenges students were facing with the cost of data and had agreed with telecommunications networks (Vodafone and MTN) to zero-rate educational content online on platforms.
Stay home
“For the time being, I encourage you to stay at home and adhere to all safety regulations during these difficult times. I also encourage you to draw up personal daily timetables to engage in learning through the platforms we have provided.
“Pick up new healthy hobbies, read widely (free e-books available on the Ghana Library Authority app) and exchange learning ideas with your peers,†the letter added.
In our series of letters from African writers, journalist and former Ghana government minister Elizabeth Ohene writes about the new normal – from how to hold a socially distant election to attending online funerals.
Since the outbreak of Covid-19, we have come to accept that our lives have been turned upside down.
We have been learning to cope with things nobody had ever dreamt about – like not hugging or shaking hands. Social distancing, self-isolation and quarantine have all become terms of everyday use.
Schools have been closed, and parents are discovering anew just how much food growing children eat.
There are things we studiously avoid talking about; the mortuaries are full, not from coronavirus deaths (so far in Ghana, there have been 16 from the disease) but the ban on public gatherings, which means we cannot have normal funerals.
Private burials are allowed but with no more than 25 people and that really is an unbearable experience for most Ghanaians.
So, we are keeping the bodies in the morgues in the hope that this dreadful nightmare will soon be over and the dead can be given befitting Ghanaian burials.
BBC
I joined an online funeral last week dressed in a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. Nobody attends a funeral dressed like that”
Funeral services are going hi-tech to abide by the new restrictions. The service has the prescribed 25 or less people and the proceedings are streamed online. Many people now sit at home by their laptops and log on to join the service.
If this trend continues, it will totally subvert our funeral culture. I joined an online funeral last week dressed in a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. Nobody attends a funeral dressed like that.
Now that we have gone through seven Sundays, including Easter Sunday, without church services, it is dawning on all of us that coronavirus is rather dramatic.
Image copyrightREUTERSImage captionReligious gatherings have been restricted because of Covid-19
We are into the holy month of Ramadan. Muslims have started their fasting, without the congregational prayers in the mosque that mark the breaking of the fast. More and more of us now accept that we are in unsettling times.
The capital Accra and its environs, and the second city Kumasi, were put under lockdown for three weeks and we have emerged from that too with the restriction on the movement of people now lifted.
Frantic activities
At the centre of the entire Covid-19 experience has been President Nana Akufo-Addo. He addressed the nation on the evening of 12 March to tell us of the first two cases of coronavirus in the country.
He announced the ban on social gatherings, the closure of borders, the lockdown in the two metropolitan areas, and he enumerates the tally of confirmed cases of infections.
There is an unstated but awkward fact that runs underneath all the frantic coronavirus activities in the country. We are due to hold presidential and parliamentary elections on 7 December.
Elections are keenly contested here and campaigns are usually loud, chaotic and, of course, crowd-centred. Preparations were on a tight schedule and did not leave much room for anything to go wrong.
Poll plans derailed
Then the virus struck and the first casualty was the National Identification Authority. It has not yet been able to finish giving identity cards to everybody above the age of 16. Without it, people cannot register to vote.
The electoral commission wants to compile a fresh voters register, but the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) is having none of that and has sworn loudly that it will do everything it can to make sure it does not happen.
The commission had, in fact, planned to start the registration process more than a week ago, but since all gatherings are banned, it seems to be stuck.
Image copyrightREUTERSImage captionThe lockdown in Ghana’s capital Accra brought the city to a standstill
Furthermore, the two main parties are gauging each other as the nature of politicking has changed with the advent of coronavirus.
No-one knows if the people’s judgement is going to be based mostly on how the parties and their candidates fare during this crisis.
The candidate of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), President Nana Akufo-Addo, and the NDC candidate, former President John Mahama, know each other pretty well. This is going to be the third time they will be facing each other.
The NPP should have conducted primaries in about 150 constituencies in which it has sitting MPs last December but postponed them to April – only for them to be derailed by lockdown measures. The candidates cannot campaign, at least not in the manner we know.
Party officials are in a bind, will they be able to hold primaries and how will they manage the tensions that come with internal elections if there is no time to heal wounds?
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We know how to bring the economy back to life. What we do not know is how to bring people back to life”
The NDC has most of its parliamentary candidates but its presidential candidate would have wanted to announce his choice of running mate at a big rowdy event – not at an event dominated by social distancing.
And how do you campaign when a malignant virus loose in the land and there does not seem to be any appetite for partisan arguments?
The president has addressed the country eight times since the outbreak and the whole nation listens to him.
He makes a speech and part of it goes viral: “We know how to bring the economy back to life. What we do not know is how to bring people back to life.”
The president says the virus does not have a political colour, this is not the time for politicking, and right now we must defeat our common enemy. He is having a good pandemic.
The NDC started its Covid-19 politicking on a dodgy note when its general secretary, Asiedu Nketia, expressed doubts about the existence of the virus in the country.
When Mr Nketia announced the first two cases of Covid-19 and placed a ban on social gatherings and political activities, he said the virus was a big hoax, and part of a grand design by the president to rig the elections.
But the NDC soon regained its poise and the party set up its own Covid-19 committee and Mr Mahama started issuing his own daily bulletins on the progress of the virus.
He had a digital conversation the other day, which sounded suspiciously like an address to the nation.
One week into the lockdown, tempers began to fray, small businesses were feeling the pinch, the daily wage earners were in distress and the confirmed cases of Covid-19 were rising.
An NDC MP accused government officials of asking the vulnerable for NPP party membership cards before being given food.
‘Father Christmas’
A video was released of Mr Mahama distributing food parcels in a poor suburb. He was appropriately clad in his face mask and told the recipients he knew they were suffering and could feel their pain.
The president announced a raft of interventions to ease the economic difficulties brought on by the pandemic; the government would pick up 50% of everybody’s electricity bill for the next three months, water would be free during that period, and health workers would not pay taxes.
Image copyrightREUTERSImage captionMany people wear masks to prevent infections from spreading
Last Sunday, Mr Akufo-Addo announced the government was about to start a huge hospital building programme. He said the pandemic had exposed just how badly underserved we were with hospitals and he would build and equip 94 new ones within the next year.
We had not seen the president as a Father Christmas before but there he was dishing out goodies. For the NDC, it is difficult when it wants to defeat him in elections.
Since nobody has any idea when we will get rid of this virus and there are no provisions in the constitution to postpone presidential elections, we are having to work around the possibility of holding the polls with Covid-19 around us.
South Korea did it and we might have to do it as well, socially distanced and with our masks.
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The president has stated that his utmost desire is to wipe away the Coronavirus and bring the country back into normalcy.
According to Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, his foremost duty is to protect the Ghanaian populace with a determination to do just that.
Globally COVID-19 has erupted the socio-economic nations including many healthcare systems due to the unpredictable nature of the novel Coronavirus.
“No country on earth has been spared the ravages of this virus, and my single-minded goal is how to steer the country out of this crisis, protect our population from the virus, and see to the rebuilding of our economy. Nothing else matters for me.â€
He was speaking during a virtual May Day celebration to honour Ghanaian workers on Friday, May 1, 2020.
President Akufo-Addo in his address applauded workers for their contributions towards nation-building as Ghana joined the rest of the world to celebrate workers day.
“We recognise and appreciate the efforts and sacrifices they have made towards the construction of the happy and prosperous Ghana we seek, and, on this day, I say Ayekoo to each one of you.†He said.
Meanwhile, the president announced an extension of the closure of borders for one month starting Monday, May 4 to May 31, 2020.
This he adds is as a result of containing the spread of the virus due to the majority of positive cases coming from travelers or contact of travelers.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has said he took robust and drastic measures which included the closure of the borders, as part of the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic because, in his view, a weaker response would certainly threaten the lives and livelihood of Ghanaians.
He noted that the impact of COVID-19 cannot be underestimated, hence the tough measures he adopted.
Speaking in the studios of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) on May Day, the President said: “As government and social partners, it is our collective responsibility to chart our own course out of this pandemicâ€.
“It is obvious that a weak response to COVID-19 will jeopardise the gains made to create a buoyant economy and will worsen the lives and livelihood s of all Ghanaians.â€
The President also said he has charged Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta to work with the Bank of Ghana (BoG) to draft a policy that will further strengthen the industry and the agriculture sectors of the economy to mitigate and fix the economic damage done by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The President said his administration is determined to deal with the economic impact of the pandemic through innovative ways.
Mr Akufo-Addo said: “Discussions are ongoing with the World Bank to raise more funds which should be completed soonâ€.
“I have charged the Minister of Finance to work with the Bank of Ghana to design innovative policies and find more resources to strengthen the productive sectors of the economy, particularly industry and agriculture. I understand that the process will shortly yield positive results.â€
He added: “The Minister of Finance and his South African counterpart, are leading the efforts of African ministers of finance to take debt reliefs for our economies.
“The World Bank has granted a debt repayment standstill for the next nine months, which will result in our delayed principal interest payments totalling $500 million.â€
Mr Akufo-Addo further said that job creation is a priority for his government.
He said several measures have been taken to create jobs for Ghanaians and, or, create the enabling environment for Ghanaians to create jobs and wealth for themselves.
“Job creation is one of the priorities of this government,†he said, adding that it is a social contract with the people, hence bold steps have been taken to that effect.
He applauded workers for their contributions toward nation-building as Ghana joins the rest of the world to celebrate them.
“We recognise and appreciate the efforts and sacrifices they have made toward the construction of the happy and prosperous Ghana we seek, and, on this day, I say Ayekoo to each one of you,†Nana Akufo-Addo said in his May Day message to Ghanaian workers.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has said that job creation is a priority of his government.
He noted several measures have been taken to create jobs for Ghanaians and, or, create the enabling environment for Ghanaians to create jobs and wealth for themselves.
Speaking at the May Day celebration in the studios of the GBC on Friday, 1 May 2020, Akufo-Addo said: “Job creation is one of the most priority of this government,†adding that it is a social contract with the people hence bold steps have been taken to that effect.
He applauded workers for their contributions towards nation-building.
“We recognise and appreciate the efforts and sacrifices they have made towards the construction of the happy and prosperous Ghana we seek, and, on this day, I say Ayekoo to each one of you.â€
This year’s May Day celebration was marked at the GBC studios with a limited number of persons from organised labour as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
Seasoned Journalist, Abdul Malik Kweku Baako says it will take Ghana four years to recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the experienced media professional, the threat of the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) has gained deep roots into the fabric of the economy and the government will only be pampering itself to think Ghana is resilient enough to bounce back into good shape despite the wreckages that the pandemic is causing.
In his regular COVID-19 updates, President Nana Akufo-Addo made a profound quote saying “we know how to bring the economy back to life. What we do not know is how to bring people back to life”.
Following his quote which has earned international recognition, the Minister for Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah at a press briefing on Tuesday, 28th April, 2020 also echoed Ghana’s robustness assuring Ghanaians that “our current economic positioning is a major reason for which we are able to marshal the resources to execute a good number of the interventions we are introducing today. And moving forward, the state of our economy will be key in our ability to introduce the necessary interventions to win the various battles in this war”.
“It makes sense why some may question whether or not Ghana can afford all the interventions the President has outlined in the past about 8 weeks of the Covid-19 response program. This question is justified because looking at our recent economic position, and the gains made recently as a nation, there is the genuine fear that we may be unable to afford the interventions or may end up overstretched if indeed we push through to execute them all.
“Between Jan 2017 and now, however, Ghana has made major strides in correcting the precarious economic conditions it found itself in. Our Fiscal position has improved and our Macro position has significantly improved. The combined effect of improved fiscal position and improved macro position is what enables us to afford the interventions which are being introduced as part of the COVID-19 response program. We have significantly improved national revenues, trimmed our deficit, and yielded a resilient macro position against which we can finance the intervention programs,” Hon. Oppong Nkrumah further highligted.
But in a sharp contrast, Kweku Baako speaking on Peace FM’s Morning show ‘Kokrokoo’, stated that no matter the beautiful picture one paints about Ghana, the country won’t be spared from the ravages of the COVID-19 storm that has hit economies worldwide.
He emphasized that it surely will not take a day for the economy to be revived again.
“All the superpowers, world economies, are crippling . . . This is not like Ebola. You can’t compare COVID-19 to Ebola or even Cholera even though lots of people are dying relative to Cholera. The impact of this global reach, major economies will collapse or are collapsing or under serious pressure. So, I’m not surprised that whatever resilience that we have created, world economy will suddenly be shaken by COVID-19. I’m not surprised. In fact, I would have been surprised if we didn’t have that impact especially considering this global repercussions and dimensions.”
Mr. Baako’s projection for Ghana to make economic strides following the end of the Coronavirus waves is three to four years.
“It might take us some 3 or 4 years to recover . . . from its economic, social, human, psychological implications. I’m not surprised at all. In fact, we should brace ourselves for tough times under no illusion. Nobody should have any illusion,” he accentuated.
Mrs Josephine Nkrumah, Chairperson of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), has said civic education in the wake of COVID-19 is important to fighting the pandemic.
She said the NCCE was committed to educating the public on best practices and safety measures to avoid the spread of the disease.
Mrs Nkrumah made these remarks when the CAMFED Association of Ghana, a non-governmental organization, donated items to the commission to aid in their civic education of the citizenry.
The donation included 144 pieces of hand sanitizers, 480 bottles liquid soaps, 180 paper towels, and 300 pieces of nose masks, as well as a cash donation.
The NCCE Chairperson said the donation would augment the inadequate stock of protective equipment the commission has in discharging its duty.
“This will help us in discharging our duties and ensure that our staff are adequately well-prepared when they go on the field to educate the public,†she said.
She said education was a shared responsibility and called on civil society groups and other institutions to assist the NCCE in this regard.
She said the donation was also an assurance of the confidence citizens had in them as a commission, adding that they would continue to do their best and put the items donated to good use.
Ms Angela Menyah, Executive Member of CAMFED Association of Ghana, said they donated the commission after it had requested donations of such items for its staff.
“The NCCE made a call to institutions and organisations to support it to discharge its civic duty in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, so we decided to donate to help them deliver on their mandate,†she said.
She called on the public to practice safety protocols to curb the rise in infection of the disease and adhere to all decisions and directives from the government.
CAMFED International is an international non-governmental organization that supports young and needy but brilliant ladies through their education.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has told the world extra efforts put into testing and contact tracing of those found positive of COVID-19 saved Ghana from a time bomb.
About 110,000 people have been tested so far in Ghana as the West African country confirms 1,671 cases with 16 deaths.
“We are not seeing this relatively large explosion that was feared for our country at the beginning, and therefore the ability to manage those who are identified is much more within our means,†Akufo-Addo said at a conference via video from the capital, Accra.
He stressed: “The emphasis has been to go out and look for those who are infected and deal with it.â€
Ghana was the first country in Africa to lift a partial 21-day lockdown on two main cities, Accra and Kumasi, last week.
“After three weeks, we were satisfied that we had a good understanding of the movement of the virus and removed the restrictions, but continued with the strategy of tracing, testing and treating,†Akufo-Addo said.
“We are in a better position to identify its geographic footprint,†he said. “It has enabled us to see what we needed to do to prevent it from going elsewhere.â€
Cocoa- and gold-producing Ghana has cut its 2020 GDP growth forecast from 6.8% to 1.5% due to the coronavirus pandemic, a rate that would represent its worst performance in nearly four decades, according to Reuters.
Restrictions on public gatherings and border closures remain in place for now, Akufo-Addo said.
“We are investing a lot … in seeing to it that people wear the masks. We see it as a direct and manageable way of getting as many people as possible protected from the disease. It is an easier solution than the strict enforcement of social distancing.â€
Daboya-Mankarigu MP, Mahama Shaibu, has petitioned the Attorney General Gloria Akuffo over State Institutions donating to the COVID-19 Trust Fund.
The NDC MP argues that public institutions have no standing to donate the monies to the COVID-19 Trust Fund.
In a letter to the AG, he requested that monies donated to the COVID-19 Trust Fund by state bodies be refunded to them.
He said when the fund was set up, the law that backed its establishment said the donations should come from individuals or corporate bodies.
Portions of a letter petitioning the AG read: “In order to play its complementary role, the fund was to receive donations, grants and voluntary contributions from individuals, groups and corporate bodies. It was made manifestly and abundantly clear that the fund as established was not to receive public funds or resourcesâ€. It, therefore, came to me with deep shock and concern when I read in the media that public/state institutions are making donations or voluntary contribution into the Novel Coronavirus.â€
The last bit of the letter said I am of the candid opinion that all such contributions should be returned to the public/state Institutions lest the principal officers and the governing boards of the contributing public/state institutions stand the risk of being dangerous, exposed and potentially liable to be surcharged by the Auditor-General for making illegal or wrongful payments.â€
A nine-member committee has been inaugurated in the Hohoe Municipal Assembly in the Volta region to help the fight against COVID19 in the Municipality.
The Committee tasked to solicit funds and other support from benevolent individuals, organisations and groups had Togbe Awalie III representing the Gbi Traditional Council as Chairman, Mama Dzawoe II, Gbi Traditional Council, Dr. Mark Cofie Nutsukpui, Hohoe Municipal Hospital and Mr. Philip Nani Tome representing the Municipal Health Directorate as members.
Other members are Ms. Rejoice Amuzu, Hohoe Municipal Hospital, Mr. Kodjo Mawugbe, Hohoe Municipal Assembly, Mr Yawlui Emmanuel, Hohoe Municipal Assembly with Mr. Anthony G. Tsra and Mr. Alex Abordzi representing Lorlornyo and Heritage Radio Stations, respectively.
Mr. Andrews Teddy Ofori, Hohoe Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) who inaugurated the Committee said the initiative was to ease the pressure on the Health Directorate in raising support, propagating, coordinating and ensuring proper use of resources in fighting the disease.
He said the Committee was to start its work immediately to ensure adequate coordination and distribution of donations made towards the fight in the Municipality, and ensure the effective use of the items distributed as well as acknowledge individuals, organisations and groups that contributed to the pandemic fight.
The MCE said the Committee would also launch a special appeal to individuals, organisations and groups to provide the needed items such as hand sanitizers, soaps, tissue papers and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) since most of them were disposable and needed to be restocked.
Togbe Awalie on behalf of the Committee pledged commitment and dedication to fighting COVID19 in the Municipality.
In a related development, the MCE and the Municipal Director of Health Services toured the Case Management Centre, which is near completion as well as some police border posts and health facilities in the Municipality.
Dr Pius Mensah, Hohoe Municipal Director of Health Services said the Centre when completed would have four wards with washrooms and room for nurses.
The Western North Region has recorded its first case of the deadly coronavirus case.
The case was disclosed by the Deputy Minister, Mr. Alex Tetteh in an interview on Nyankonton Mu Nsem on Rainbow Radio 87.5fm.
The Deputy Minister who is also acting as the DCE for Bia East disclosed the COVID-19 team are working around the clock to prevent the virus from spreading.
He said the measures adopted by the government including the social distancing rule is strictly being enforced.
He stated that surveillance has been intensified in the region especially along the borders to prevent illegal entry into the region.
He advised residents to strictly adhere to the safety measures to prevent the spread of the virus.
The wearing of face masks he added has also been made mandatory.
Ghana has currently recorded 2,074 cases of coronavirus.
The number of deaths is now 17 with 212 recoveries.
Greater Accra still has the highest cases of the disease with 1,795 infections. Ashanti has 99, Eastern 70, Central 21, Oti, 19 and Upper East 19.
Volta region has 16 cases, Northern 13, Upper West, 10, Western 9, and North East 2.
The Coalition of NGOs in Health has identified 53 health facilities nationwide that the government has abandoned as the battle against coronavirus continues.
“As at 12 noon, my regional representatives are able to give me at least 53 health facilities either completed and not commissioned or abandoned halfway,†the Chairman of the Coalition of NGOs, Dr Gabriel Bernaku, bemoaned.
A total of 212 patients have recovered from the infection, representing one recovery to five cases presently.
Mr Akufo-Addo promised some 88 district facilities to be completed within a year and an additional six regional hospitals.
But critics have questioned the rationale for abandoning over 50 health facilities only to announce fresh ones three years into the tenure of the current administration.
Dr Benarku, who was speaking in an interview on Joy FM Wednesday, was quick to add that: “The Coalition of NGOs in Health is not against government adding the 88 health facilities to the existing ones. We have been very clear from day-one since 2017 that government should add, as stipulated in their manifesto, so if they want to do more, so be it.â€
He said the existing facilities need regular renovation as new health facilities were established simultaneously to cater for the health needs of the public.
Former President John Dramani Mahama has been vocal on infrastructure projects shelved by the current administration after inheriting the facilities from the previous administration.
In a Facebook live in January 2020, he listed the University of Ghana Medical Center (now a treatment facility for diplomats infected by the coronavirus), the Upper West Regional Hospital, the Bank hospital, International Maritime Hospital as major health facilities neglected by the government.
He also listed hospitals in Fomena, Kumawu, Abetifi, Bekwai, Tepa, Bolga as critical health infrastructure that has been left idle.
 