Tag: coronavirus in Ghana

The Electoral Commission of Ghana must inform Ghanaians about its preparedness for the 2020 general elections, Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu has said.

He told journalists on Thursday, April 30, 2020, that the election management body must also provide its roadmap for the elections amid the coronavirus pandemic.

“The Constitution requires that presidential and parliamentary elections be held this year, even as we struggle with COVID”, the Tamale South MP said, adding: “The independent Electoral Commission created under Article 45 of this Constitution owes this country and Members of Parliament an explanation”.

“They have to be summoned to give us their roadmap as to their preparedness”, he insisted.

The EC, he stressed, needs to “appraise this House on their level of preparedness for the 2020 presidential and parliamentary election”.

“If we cannot get them to brief the Committee of the whole, they have to come to the Special Budget Committee,” Mr Iddrisu noted.

The EC was supposed to have started its registration exercise for a new register of voters on 18 April 2020 but had to suspend it indefinitely as a result of the raging COVID-19 pandemic, which has, so far, killed 17 out of the 2,074 with 212 recoveries.

Last weekend, there was a controversy between the EC and opposition MP Sam Nartey George, who together with some supporters of the NDC, besieged an alleged workshop organised by the election body.

Source: Class FM

The leadership of parliament has denied news making the rounds on social media that each MP has been given GHS120,000 to fight COVID-19 in their constituencies.

Both the majority and minority sides of the house want the general public to ignore the “fabricated” stories.

Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu said the news puts lawmakers in bad light, hence the denial.

“I understand that there is a report on social media that Members of Parliament have been paid some amount of money for purposes of COVID-19; 120,000.

“That is inaccurate, it is misleading, it is erroneous and only meant to put members of parliament to ridicule and all kinds of demands from our constituents”, Mr Iddrisu told journalists.

Source: Class FM

There has been an attempted prison break in Sierra Leone after a recently arrived inmate developed symptoms of coronavirus.

A warden was killed and several others injured in the riot at Pademba Road prison in the capital, Freetown. The jail was set ablaze.

Pademba Road prison has capacity for about 300 prisoners but currently houses more than 1,000.

Criminal courts have been suspended for a month in an effort to stem the spread of Covid-19 in jails.

There have been 104 confirmed coronavirus cases in Sierra Leone and four deaths.

Source: bbc.com

Kenyans online are outraged after the ministry of health spent huge sums on tea, snacks and mobile phone airtime for its staff in the battle against coronavirus pandemic.

Some 4m Kenyan shillings ($37,000; £30,000) has been spent on tea and snacks, while 2m Kenyan shillings has been used on airtime for staff, according to the ministry’s budget that has been made public.

This is part of a budget of 10m Kenyan shillings for tea and snacks for an unspecified period and 6m Kenyan shillings for airtime for three months.

Other items in the budget include leasing of ambulances, stationary and fuel.

The money was part of the $9.3m donated by the World Bank to Kenya for emergency response during the pandemic.

Kenyan newspapers on Thursday headlined with a rebuke of the expenditure.

On social media citizens pointed out how poor Kenyans had nothing to eat and doctors do not have adequate protective equipment:

I am surprised not about the figures in the table but how the government of Kenya managed to convince world bank to give them kshs. 1 billion. Like how can you approve over kshs. 20 millions to go on useless stuffs like tea, snacks, printing of forms and airtime? #thieves pic.twitter.com/P9V4Vp071u

— kimalewa finest (@peterwekesa19) April 29, 2020

“You are charging Kenyans for mandatory quarantine and subsequent treatment in time of a global pandemic while shamelessly telling us you spent tens of millions of ksh on printing and tea!” Njau Muchira tweeted

“How you spend millions on tea and snacks while people don’t even have face masks is obnoxious and cantankerous,” Walter Nyauma tweeted

“A certain ministry allocates itself 4 millions just on tea and snacks in 1 month while a woman in Mombasa resorts to boiling stones just to convince her children that there is food cooking,” Denzin tweeted.

Source: bbc.com

The charity Save the Children has warned that the Horn of Africa is facing an unprecedented triple threat as the region is hit by the coronavirus pandemic, locust swarms and flooding.

The organisation says more than five million children under the age of five are already acutely malnourished and Covid-19 is now affecting the economy and health services.

Vast new swarms of crop-eating locusts are expected in June, and rivers have been swollen by recent heavy rain.

Save the Children has called for urgent international action to help Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia cope, saying the situation is completely overwhelming.

The charity also warns there is a heightened risk of virus infection in camps for millions of displaced people.

Source: bbc.com

If for nothing at all, one thing that the deadly coronavirus disease has brought the world is innovation and discoveries.

Ever since the deadly respiratory disease code named Covid-19, was diagnosed, Ghana and indeed Africa has been innovative to help citizens navigate around the effects of the virus.

Among some of the innovations here in Ghana include the invention of solar powered handwashing machine, locally produced nose masks and hand sanitiser which either too were not considered lucrative.

Before the disease caused international travels to be brought to a halt, our leaders did not hold virtual meetings to discuss issues of importance to their respective countries and the continent as a whole.

That however, has become the order of the day as ECOWAS leaders last Thursday met online to discuss how to battle the virus.

Schools, on the other hand did not have online studies as students were required to be physically present on their various campuses to have their studies.

In all the above innovations, Ghana still looked out for innovations that would be most handy in the fight against the virus which has claimed over 200,000 lives globally.

It is in this regard that the Ghanaian Times joins the rest of the country to congratulate the Kwame Nkrumah University of Technology and Incas Diagnostic for inventing the optimised Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) kit to support the testing regime in Ghana.

Before the invention of the RTD, the country relied on the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) which detects parts of the viral genome early in infection, at least 48 hours after testing; potentially delaying contact tracing and other efforts.

The PCR tests are unable to identify people who have been infected (symptomatic or asymptomatic) and recovered.

“However, KNUST/Incas RDT detects asymptomatic cases, enables decentralised testing to be done anywhere without requiring any equipment,” this paper quoted a statement issued by the KNUST on Wednesday.

Interesting about the RDT is that it requires little technical training for those performing the test to be able to do so within 20 minutes and results in a shorter time to enable decision making in real time.

This is a big plus for Ghanaian scientists and should spur us on in our determination to overcome the virus.

Covid-19 may be having a devastating effect on industries, social life and personal development but it has brought out of us an outpouring of creation in all areas of human life.

Necessity, as they say, is the mother of invention. We salute the scientists at the KNUST and Incas for coming up with the RDT to support the country in ramping up the tests.

As President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo told his colleagues in that virtual ECOWAS meeting, “it is very very important that we tailor a specific Ghanaian and African response to the handling of this pandemic and not necessarily copy blindly the methods that are being adopted by countries to the north of us and elsewhere.”

Source: Ghanaian Times

Ghana has recorded 403 more cases of Covid-19, taking the tally to 2,074, the Ghana Health Service says.

On its Covid-19 website, the Service says 212 people have recovered from the disease.

One more person has died, increasing to death toll to 17.

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, North East 2, and Western North 1.

Source: myjoyonline 

Twenty-four COVID-19 patients have recovered to bring the total number of recoveries to 212, the Ghana Health Service has confirmed in its latest update on Thursday, 30 April 2020.

The recovery means the patients have tested negative for the virus twice.

Meanwhile, the confirmed cases have jumped from 1,671 as of Tuesday, 28 April 2020 to 2,074 today, Thursday, 30 April 2020.

The number of deaths has also increased by one from 16 to 17.

Source: Class FM

Chiefs and elders of Odupong-Ofaakor in the central region are protesting against the use of the Odupong Senior High School as an isolation center for COVID-19 patients.

According to them, the Municipal Chief Executive and the Municipal Director of Education failed to dialogue with the traditional authorities before taking the decision.

Speaking to local radio station, Pink FM, Spokesperson for the Ofaakor Traditional Council, Dr Kofi Akotuah Obeng who doubles as the Board Chairman of the school questioned why the assembly failed to engage the traditional authorities on such a critical matter.

He suggested, that, the government stick to the use of the Pentecost Convention Center.

Some indigenes of the town who besieged the premises of the school amidst the chanting of war songs expressed their resolve to kick against any move to use the school.

They fear should the current decision be made to stand, a patient could possibly escape quarantine or isolation and spread the disease in the township

Source: Kasapa FM

Former NDC Central Regional Chairman, Allotey Jacobs has commended President Nana Akufo-Addo for exercising the right leadership in fighting COVID-19 pandemic.

Allotey Jacobs labeled the President as a ”matured leader” and was delighted that he has brought his maturity to bear during these trying times.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) has become the bane of the world with nations worldwide finding ways to safeguard their citizenry from the virulent viral disease.

The pandemic has driven leaders across the globe to take tough decisions though inconveniencing their citizens and woefully impacting economies but for a greater cause, such decisions had to be made irrespective.

Of course, President Nana Akufo-Addo has not been spared from making difficult decisions either as he enforced a partial lockdown and restrictions on public gatherings, resulting in the closure of schools, churches and other relevant public activities that inject life into the spines of Ghanaians.

It is however not out of place to say the happiness of many Ghanaians has been sapped, but once again, for the good of the nation and the health of all citizens, the President’s decisions have been found necessary to comply with.

Ghana has since recorded 1671 cases of COVID-19 with 188 recoveries and 16 deaths, however, the infection rate is still one of the lowest in the world and this is primarily due to the government’s interventions in curtailing the spread of COVID-19 in the country.

Contributing to a panel discussion on Peace FM’s ”Kokrokoo” on Wednesday, Allotey Jacobs told host Kwami Sefa Kayi that assessing world statistics on the impact of COVID-19; ”Ghana is doing very well.

As a matter of fact, our State institutions confronting this pandemic; they’re doing very well, very [very] well ably supported by government because it is the government of the day. You can’t run away from that fact.

Any measures that it will put in place, State institutions are following that procedure or that measures and it is in the right order…we’ve gone far”.

He appreciated efforts by President Akufo-Addo to protect Ghanaians, stressing ”we are in a political age of maturity. So, we should look at Ghana first when issues are raised…We had the age of a visionary leader and we’re having an age of a matured leader.

To sum up, all this is to move Ghana forward. When you explain yourself, it appears the young ones who have come up, I don’t know the force pushing them but they will not listen to wisdom or reasoning…This country has to move forward.

So, we will speak out if someone does something good. I’m not a Spokesperson for President Nana Akufo-Addo but when he is doing right, I will commend him for it. When it is wrong, I will say it”.

Source: Peace FM

The Ghana Immigration Service has confirmed the arrest of 20 Burkina Faso nationals at the Babile inland post near Lawra in the Upper West Region.

They were onboard an O.A branded bus with registration number AS 699- 09 from their home country en route to Sampa, Techiman and Kumasi on Tuesday, April 28, 2020, GIS officials told Dailymailgh.com.

The ECOWAS nationals were, however, intercepted at about 19:00hrs by personnel at the Babile checkpoint, according to the Public Affairs Director of the Upper West Regional Immigration Service, ICO Ibn Yussif Duranah Abdul-Mumin.

“Their migration into Ghana is an economic-related issue. They entered into the country through unapproved routes”, the Public Affairs Director explained.

The suspects comprise 18 males and two females aged between 15 and 28 years. Officials say they will be detained for further action.

The command, however, warned that it will deal ruthlessly with any Ghanaian aiding foreigners into the country.

COVID-19: 221 foreign nationals arrested in Ashanti Region

The Immigration Service appears to be making strides as Ghana tightens security at its territories in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic.

The Ashanti Regional Security Council, for instance, has also confirmed the arrest of some 221 foreigners who have entered the country without proper documentation.

It warned landlords who harboured such people to be careful since the country had its laws on immigration.

Outlining measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, Regional Minister Simon Osei-Mensah asked that all health and social distancing protocols ought to be observed strictly.

“All groupings put together for playing cards, draught and football activities are indefinitely suspended and declared illegal under the present circumstances,” the Minister noted in a statement.

The statement reminded the public to wear face masks regularly in areas such as markets, hospitals, shops, restaurants, banks, workplaces and onboard commercial vehicles.

Source: Daily Guide Network

Madam Justina Owusu-Banahene, the Sunyani Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) on Wednesday inaugurated the “Mask Ambassadors”, a group that advocates the wearing of nose masks to stem the spread of the COVID-19 disease in the Municipality.

So far, the country has recorded 1,671 confirmed cases of the COVID-19 with 16 deaths and 188 recoveries.

The eight-member group, comprising mostly journalists and two health officials, would work to scale-up public education on the use of nose masks as well as help to control societal stigmatization associated with COVID-19.

At a short ceremony in Sunyani, Mad. Owusu-Banahene commended the “Mask Ambassadors” for the initiative, and said the advocacy was a call to duty, which required commitment to achieve results.

She said the Municipal COVID-19 response team was working hard to ensure that the residents in the Municipality adhered to the social and physical distancing protocols, handwashing with soap under running water as well as complying with government directives on the COVID-19.

Mad. Owusu-Banahene indicated the media played a vital role in the fight against the COVID-19, and welcomed the idea of the campaigners, saying: “You have placed huge responsibility on yourselves as media practitioners and the Municipal Assembly will also support you to achieve your aspirations”.

She expressed the hope that corporate bodies, opinion leaders and entrepreneurs would support the campaign to help combat the spread of the disease in the Municipality and beyond.

Mr. Dennis Peprah, the lead advocate of the “Mask Ambassadors” underlined the need for the media to think outside the box, go beyond their normal work of news reporting to be able to contribute significantly to prevent the spread of the virus.

Though the campaign, he explained was a voluntary call to duty, the campaigners would require support from local manufacturers and business entities, corporate institutions, philanthropic individuals and organisations to supply the vulnerable and high-risk population with the nose masks.

Mr. Peprah called on the media to use their airwaves and various media platforms to help sharpen the narratives and address the stigma against the COVID-19 to control its spread.

“The media, especially local radio stations must sieve and avoid reports that have the tendency to stigmatize carriers of the virus”, he added.

Source: GNA

Dr Beatrice Wiafe Addai, Chairperson of the Ghana Non-Communicable Diseases Alliance, has asked health workers, not to over concentrate on the COVID-19 pandemic at the expense of non-communicable diseases.

She said people with underlying health conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, stroke, kidney problems and others, have been identified to be more vulnerable to the virus.

“It is important, therefore, to see people with these conditions as high risk and provide urgent assistant.”

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Kumasi, Dr Wiafe Addai said report from the Ghana Health Service indicated that, all the people who have died of the disease, were those with these underlying health conditions.

“There is, therefore, the need for health workers to show keen interest in patients who visited their facilities with these conditions and provide them with the needed treatment and care to help improve their immune system”, she stated.

Dr Wiafe Addai, who is also the Chief Executive Officer of Breast Care International (BCI), pointed out that the increasing spate of non-communicable disease infections in the country, especially among young people, was worrying.

She said it was important for the government to focus more attention on the preventive measures to help reduce the rate of infections while encouraging health workers to see such diseases as an important health concern and show greater commitment in their treatment and management.

Dr Wiafe Addai, commended the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for recognizing that non-communicable diseases had a greater impact on the fatalities caused by the pandemic in the country.

She urged the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service to lead an initiative to create a sustained awareness campaign on non-communicable diseases and the havoc it was causing in society.

This, according to her, would make people change their lifestyles and attitudes as well as their eating habits to control infections.

Source: GNA

The coalition of Ayawaso East Unit Committee Members has petitioned the Ayawaso East Municipal Assembly to pay compensation to traders in the area following consistent closure of markets over COVID-19.

According to the Unit Committee Members, their attention has been drawn to the fact that the assembly closed the Nima Market on April 24, 2020 which was the 3rd consecutive time since the emergence of the Covid-19 in the country.

The convenor for the committee, Naziru Iddriss said: “it is important to state that the consistent posture of the assembly on the closures of the market is unfortunate and unjustifiable considering the fact that the municipality had the opportunity to implement social distancing protocols before reopening it for business when it was closed for the disinfection.

“Although we cannot discount the effect of the pandemic on the inhabitant of the municipality, it is imperative to state that the assembly has not been proactive in minimising the impact of the market closures hence closing it for the 3rd time before talking about social distancing measures”.

He said it is imperative to state that most of these traders have invested their hard-earned livelihood while some have acquired loans for their businesses and in some cases “they invested in perishable goods considering the fact of the month of Ramadan sales.”

“As stakeholders of the municipality we are by this letter requesting for the following; an expedite action to reopen the market latest by Tuesday April 28, 2020 with social distancing protocols, institute measures for continues Covid-19 outreach education in the market, compensate the market traders for any lose or damages which may arise to them in mitigating impact of the market closures, especially those dealing in perishable goods and suspend payment of market tolls for all traders within reasonable period of time,” he stated.

The convenor said the committee needs briefing with the assembly in respect to the Covid -19 action plans of the assembly and how one can also contribute to complement the effort of the assembly in the fight against the novel coronavirus considering the fact that the municipality is named as one of the hotspots in the country.

Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM/Philip Antoh

The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), has begun the distribution of food items to some 5000 households in the city as part of efforts to cushion residents to mitigate the challenges brought about by the coronavirus outbreak.

The items made up of rice, gari, tomato paste, cooking oil, sardines and beans are being distributed to communities in Asiedu Keteke, Ablekuma South and Okai Koi North sub metros.

Metropolitan Chief Executive of Accra, Mohammed Adjei Sowah in an interview before the distribution, said the gesture was intended to ameliorate the burden of the vulnerable especially the aged and Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) during the fight against the COVID-19.

He disclosed that officers from the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) would present the items to the beneficiaries in their various households and not in the open to prevent the gathering of people.

He urged residents to adhere to the precautionary measures of handwashing under running water and sanitizing, the wearing of nose masks and avoiding large crowds to prevent the spread of the virus in the city.

The Metro Director of NADMO who led the team to distribute the food items admonished residents to exhibit high sense of orderliness to prevent crowding.

Some beneficiaries expressed gratitude to the assembly and government for the intervention at this difficult period.

Source: AMA

The Ayawaso West Municipal Assembly has received a GH¢20,000 boost from Rolider Ghana Limited to support its battle to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the municipality.

The Operations Manager for Rolider, Mr Avi Cohen made the presentation on behalf of the company on April 29.

Mr Cohen said the company wants their donation to go directly to the needy.

He said: “In total, we have donated about GH¢100,000 to the communities in which we operate. This money is to support the budget of the Assembly towards the acquisition of essentials for Covid-19 and to support needy families”.

Hon Sandra Owusu-Ahinkorah, the MCE for the municipality expressed gratitude to Rolider on behalf of the assembly and residents of Ayawaso West.

Source: graphic.com.gh

The coalition of Ayawaso East Unit Committee Members has petitioned the Ayawaso East Municipal Assembly to pay compensation to traders in the area following consistent closure of markets over COVID-19.

According to the Unit Committee Members, their attention has been drawn to the fact that the assembly closed the Nima Market on April 24, 2020, which was the 3rd consecutive time since the emergence of the Covid-19 in the country.

The convenor for the committee, Naziru Iddriss said: “it is important to state that the consistent posture of the assembly on the closures of the market is unfortunate and unjustifiable considering the fact that the municipality had the opportunity to implement social distancing protocols before reopening it for business when it was closed for the disinfection.

“Although we cannot discount the effect of the pandemic on the inhabitant of the municipality, it is imperative to state that the assembly has not been proactive in minimising the impact of the market closures hence closing it for the 3rd time before talking about social distancing measures”.

He said it is imperative to state that most of these traders have invested their hard-earned livelihood while some have acquired loans for their businesses and in some cases “they invested in perishable goods considering the fact of the month of Ramadan sales.”

“As stakeholders of the municipality we are by this letter requesting for the following; an expedite action to reopen the market latest by Tuesday, April 28, 2020, with social distancing protocols, institute measures for continues Covid-19 outreach education in the market, compensate the market traders for any loss or damages which may arise to them in mitigating impact of the market closures, especially those dealing in perishable goods and suspend payment of market tolls for all traders within reasonable period of time,” he stated.

The convenor said the committee needs briefing with the assembly in respect to the Covid-19 action plans of the assembly and how one can also contribute to complement the effort of the assembly in the fight against the novel coronavirus considering the fact that the municipality is named as one of the hotspots in the country.

Source: Starr FM

The confirmed cases of Coronavirus in Ghana has increased to 1,671.

The increase means that 121 new cases have been confirmed since last Sunday when the country had 1,550 confirmed cases of Coronavirus.

1,461 of the infected persons are said to be doing well and responding to treatment while six of them are “moderately to critically ill”.

The number of recoveries from the illness has also risen to 188.

The Ghana Health Service announced the new figures on Tuesday, April 28, 2020, at a press briefing in Accra.

The Greater Accra Region has the highest number of cases in the country with 1,433 positive tests followed by the Ashanti Region which has 84 cases and the Eastern Region which has 57 cases.

The Upper East Region has 18 cases, the Oti Region and Central Region has 17 cases respectively, the Northern Region has 13 cases, Volta Region has 11 cases, Western Region has nine cases, the Upper West Region has eight cases, the North East Region has two cases and the Western North Region has one case.

The Savannah, Bono, Ahafo, and Bono East Regions have not recorded any cases.

Source: pulse.com.gh

The Ashanti Regional Security Council (REGSEC) has threatened to deal ruthlessly with those facilitating the movement of foreigners into the Region without recourse to security protocols and checks.

A statement signed by Mr Simon Osei Mensah, Ashanti Regional Minister and copied to the Ghana News Agency in Kumasi, said “anybody who is caught transporting foreigners into the Region in such large groups would be dealt with in accordance with the laws of the country”.

It said considering the health and security implications this phenomenon posed to the Region, the REGSEC would go all out to ensure that all the preventive protocols and restrictive measures outlined by the government was implemented.
According to the statement, a total of 221 foreigners who illegally migrated to the Region had been arrested and were currently in the custody of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS).

The statement warned landlords who harboured such people to be careful since the country had its own laws on immigration.

It stressed the need for all to join hands in preventing the spread of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, and asked that all health and social distancing protocols ought to be observed strictly.

“All groupings put together for the purpose of playing cards, draught and football activities are indefinitely suspended and declared illegal under the present circumstances,” it noted.

The statement reminded the citizenry to wear face masks regularly in areas such as markets, hospitals, shops, restaurants, banks, workplaces and on board commercial vehicles.

The same goes for food vendors and street hawkers.

Source: GNA

The Oti Regional Minister, Nana Owusu Yeboah has clarified that the number of COVID-19 cases currently in his region has reduced from 17 to eight.

He said although the region officially recorded 17 positive novel coronavirus infections, nine out of the number are no more under the care of the region.

He explained that six out of the number were going to their homes in the northern region while three were also going to their homes in neighbouring Togo when they were intercepted.

The nine persons were subsequently screened and samples taken for testing.

Upon the requests of the patients, they were transported to the Northern region and the republic of Togo respectively for their treatment. Officials of the Northern region and Togo have since been notified and they are monitoring the situation.

The Oti joined the league of regions who have COVID-19 with 13 cases last Thursday, April 23, 2020. According to the Regional Minister, all 13 were among 67 travelers from Accra hidden in cargo trucks destined for the Northern region. They hid in the trucks to avoid detection from security officials due to the fact that Accra was at the time on partial lockdown.

Due to alertness of security personnel in Oti, the trucks were intercepted on April 17 as they entered the region through Kadjebi via Nkwanta South into Nkwanta North Districts.

Out of the number, four patients from Oti are being cared for by the Nkwanta South health team, whilst Northern region have duly taken up the management of the 6 cases. Same way Togo officials have taken up the three other cases.

He further explained that Nkwanta South municipality also confirmed one COVID-19 case from passengers of another cargo truck from Accra on April 17, 2020 after results received on April 26.

Test results also confirmed three cases from Kadjebi district involving three males; two Ghanaians and one Chinese. They are workers of Synohydro Chinese Road Construction Company working on the Eastern Corridor Road. All other staff of the company have been mandated to be on self-quarantine for 14 days as they are monitored to curb a possible spread.

Since the first cases were recorded contact tracing have covered 334 persons. This includes 156 in Nkwanta North, 14 in Nkwanta South and 164 in Kadjebi.

Samples from 156 of the contacts have already sent to Noguchi in Accra, the national capital while the remaining 178 have been sent to the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) laboratory at Ho in the Volta Region.

The regional Minister, Owusu Yeboah who denied media reports of some six Nigeriens escaping from quarantine after testing positive assured that the region has enhanced its surveillance to ensure cases are picked up early and managed. He added that all the necessary health measures are being intensified to ensure unanimous adherence by all residence.

Source: DAily Guide Network

Sunon-Asogli Power Company, an independent power producer in the country has presented Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to the Ho Municipal Hospital in the Volta Region towards the fight against COVID-19.

The donation followed an appeal by the Agbogbomefia of Asogli State, Togbe Afede XIV to help stop the spread of the disease and contain the pandemic.

The items included 3,000 face masks, 400 pieces of hand gloves, packs of gowns and overalls.

Togbe Afede encourages the Health staff to offer quality healthcare services to clients.

Togbe Anikpi III, Dufia of Ho-Heve who presented the items on behalf of Togbe Afede, said collective efforts was needed to fight the novel coronavirus.

He said the disease could be contained if the citizenry observed the World Health Organization’s health safety protocols and adhered to the President’s directives.

Togbe Anikpi, therefore, urged the citizenry to adhere to the President’s directive of no social gathering, physical distancing and World Health Organization’s health safety protocols of washing hands regularly with soap under running water and the use of hand sanitizers to stem the spread of the disease.

Dr Lawrence Kumi, the Medical Superintendent of the Hospital, was grateful to the Company for the support, saying the items would go a long way to help in the discharge of their duties.

He said the items came at the right time as those that they had were not enough, and appealed for more support.

Last month, Sunon-Asogli Power Ghana Ltd donated $100,000 to the national COVID-19 fund.

Togbe Afede XIV, Founder and Director of the Company, also recently donated GHC50,000.00 to the Upper West Regional Hospital to support the fight against Cerebrospinal Meningitis (CSM).

Source: GNA

The Public Health Reference Laboratory in Tamale will from today (Wednesday, April 29) begin the testing of COVID-19 samples collected from the northern part of the country to ensure quick turnaround time for results.

The Laboratory’s equipment is capable of running a total of 288 COVID-19 tests in a day.

Dr Abass Abdul Karim, Head of Public Health Reference Laboratory in Tamale, who announced this in Tamale on Tuesday, said the facility’s readiness to begin testing COVID-19 samples would reduce workload on the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research (KCCR) as well as save costs.

Since the recording of the first two positive cases of COVID-19 in the country on March 12, the suspected cases samples collected from the northern part of the country were sent to the KCCR in Kumasi for testing, a situation, which increased the workload on the facility (KCCR) leading to delayed release of test results.

The Ghana Health Service and for that matter the government also incurred huge costs transporting the COVID-19 samples from the northern part of the country to the KCCR for testing.

Dr Abdul Karim described the readiness of the Public Health Reference Laboratory in Tamale to begin testing of COVID-19 samples collected from the northern part of the country as “A giant step in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic”.

Source: GNA

The Omanhene of Abura Dunkwa Nana Asorkwa Kwegyiri Aggrey II and his elders have resisted an attempt by authorities to use a school in the area as an isolation centre.

The traditional leader speaking on Nyankonton Mu Nsem on Rainbow Radio 87.5Fm, said they were not consulted hence, their resistance.

He was of the view that authorities should have engaged traditional leaders before taking the decision.

He disclosed that residents have also resisted the plan and as traditional leaders, we cannot allow them to use the area as an isolation centre.

He was of the view that it would be a waste of state resources to use senior high schools as isolation centres suggesting that the government should rather purchase containers and use them as isolation centres.

The traditional leader maintained it would be prudent to engage the chiefs and elders, and reason with them on the way forward.

He said the COVID-19 virus has created fear and panic among people hence it would not be proper to just take ”autocratic decisions” to use secondary schools as isolation centres without consultation.

Source: rainbowradioonline.com

Ten food vendors and three taxi drivers who operate at the Achimota government hospital have tested positive for COVID-19, Starrfm.com.gh has gathered.

The cases were confirmed after the hospital decided to conduct mass testing for individuals who do business within the hospital community.

The samples were taken to the Noguchi memorial centre and came out positive.

Nurses and other medical staff of the hospital are currently undergoing compulsory testing for COVID-19 beginning today Tuesday, April 28.

Meanwhile, a police officer at Adenta in Accra has tested positive for COVID-19 after arresting and detaining a suspect who defied the lockdown directive.

According to Starrfm.com.gh sources within the security agencies, the suspect, who was apparently positive of the virus, was detained for a longer period at the Adenta police cells after court hearing because the Prisons service was not accepting new inmates as a result of the pandemic.

A source at the Adenta district police command says the officer has been asked to self-quarantine after he tested positive.

Coronavirus death toll in Ghana now stands at 11 with 1,550 infections and about 150 recoveries.

Source: Starrfm.com.gh

A Ghanaian citizen and an independent presidential aspirant, Onipayede Ossom Teye, has appealed to the government to try the use of herbal and traditional medicines in treating the COVID-19 virus.

Speaking on Nyankonton Mu Nsem on Rainbow Radio 87.5Fm, Mr. Teye said it was time we explore the role of alternative medicine and traditional remedies in the fight against the Coronavirus.

To him, Ghana has traditional medicines that can help in treating persons who have tested positive for the virus.

He believes such a step would help in transforming the herbal and traditional medicine practice in the country.

The over-dependence on foreign medicines he added has deprived our traditional medicine sector despite their role in contributing to the wellbeing of Ghanaians.

There is currently no known cure or vaccine for COVID-19.

Health officials, however, recommend the washing of hands and frequent usage of sanitizers as well as keeping hands off the face.

Individuals are also advised to consume Vitamin C to boost their immune system.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health has submitted 33 herbal medicines for testing.

The herbal medicines are products from the Ghana Federation of Traditional Medicine Practitioners Associations (GHAFTRAM).

The Deputy Director for the Centre for Plant Medicine Research, Dr Alfred Ampomah Appiah, said in addition to the 33 received from the health ministry, it continued to receive more herbal medicines for testing.

Former President John Dramani Mahama a few weeks ago called for the use of traditional medicine in the fight against the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Ghana.

“It is time to explore the role of alternative medicine and traditional remedies in the fight against the Coronavirus. Some traditional medicines are known to boost the immune system and can help both in the prevention of people succumbing to the disease and also play a role, a palliative function in the management of persons suffering from COVID-19,” he said.

John Mahama made the call on Tuesday, April 14, 2020, when he announced the donation of food items to some 20,000 households in areas affected by the partial lockdown.

Source: rainbowradioonline.com

There is fear and panic at Pabi, a farming community near Asamankese in the West Akyem Municipality of the Eastern Region after a 34-year-old woman tested positive for Coronavirus.

The woman has no travel history but Starr News has gathered that some three family members who fled from lockdown areas returned to the house where she lives some few weeks ago.

The mother of two on Tuesday, April 21, 2020, visited a CHPs compound in the community after she suddenly fell sick. she was referred to Asamankese Government Hospital where her sample was taken to Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research but was discharged home.

The result of the test which confirmed positive was released on Sunday, April 26, 2020. Health Officials at the West Akyem Municipal Health Directorate through the Assembly Member for Pabi Electoral Area, Gyampo Daniel, located the patient in the community with the result and communicated to her.

However, the patient has been asked to self-quarantine in the house as Health officials prepare an Isolation centre to admit her.

Samples of about 10 persons living in the house have been collected for testing.

Speaking to Starr News, the Assembly Member for the Area, Gyampo Daniel, told Starr News that the Municipal Health Emergency Response Committee has visited the community to sensitize residents on the preventive protocols and to remain calm.

The Eastern Region has the third-highest confirmed cases of 57, after Greater Accra and Ashanti who have recorded 1,347 and 69, respectively, as of Sunday, April 26, 2020.

Fanteakwa North, Denkyembour, Akuapem North, Lower Manya Krobo, Nsawam, are known districts in the Eastern Region that have recorded confirmed cases in the Eastern Region.

The national tally stands 1,550 with 155 recoveries and 11 deaths.

Source: Starr FM