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Tag: coronavirus in Ghana

  • 39,718 clinical recoveries reduce Ghanas active COVID-19 cases to 1,906

    Active COVID-19 cases in Ghana have reduced to 1,906.

    This is because 39,718 persons who got infected by the virus have clinically recovered and have been discharged

    This was announced by the Ghana Health Service on Thursday, August 13, 2020.

    Ghana has since March 2020 recorded a total of 41,847 Coronavirus cases.

    Out of the number of active cases in Ghana, six are in a critical condition, four on ventilators, and 17 in severe condition.

    A total of 421,588 tests have so far been conducted in the country since March 2020.

    Current regional breakdown

    Source: citinewsroom

  • AMA prosecutes lady preacher on ‘No Nose Mask’ Policy, court remands her

    An itinerary Pastor known as Joyce Oyedele, who was spotted preaching without a nose mask at the Central Business District has appeared before an Accra Circuit Court.

    Joyce who is being held for refusal to wear nose mask pleaded not guilty. But Mr Yaw Dankwah who acted as a friend of the court raised objection over who was legally mandated to prosecute the accused.

    Mr Dankwah contended that the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) had not been mandated to prosecute cases of breach of the COVID-19 protocols.

    He said that the Executive Instrument (EI) 64 Section 1 and 4 (1) (2), 2020 did not give the AMA mandate to prosecute.

    He said the prosecution should be done by the Police, adding that the EI gave the Police the power to conduct instant search and that the AMA is not the same as the Police.

    Thus his argument led to the adjournment of the matter to Thursday, August 13. Joyce was however remanded by the court.

    The Prosecution led by Madam Linda Kunbuno, from AMA said on August 10, this year, Joyce was seen not wearing nose musk on two different occasions and was advised to wear one.

    She said on August 11, this year, Joyce was again seen preaching at the ECG office in Accra Central and was using her handkerchief as a nose musk.

    Prosecution said even though someone offered to buy one for her, she declined to take it, saying she was safe in using her handkerchief.

    She said Joyce was later arrested by the COVID-19 Safety Task Force after she declined to wear the mask purchased for her.

    Currently, the COVID-19 Safety Task Force is made up of personnel the Military, Police, AMA, and Zoomlion.

    They are to enforce the Directives on wearing of nose musk to contain the spread of COVID-19.

    Source: Ghana Crusader

  • UCL qualifier postponed after positive test

    UEFA postponed a Champions League qualifying game hours before kickoff on Tuesday because a team from Kosovo was put into quarantine by Swiss authorities after a second player tested positive for COVID-19.

    Kosovo title winner KF Drita risks forfeiting its scheduled game against Linfield of Northern Ireland in a UEFA disciplinary case.

    Drita and Linfield were due to play on Tuesday evening at an empty stadium next to UEFA’s headquarters to complete a four-team preliminary round mini-tournament in the 2020-21 competition.

    UEFA said a Drita player, who was not identified, tested positive on Monday.

    A teammate also tested positive last Friday ahead of the Kosovo team’s win against Inter Club d’Escaldes of Andorra. UEFA’s return to play rules during the coronavirus pandemic can let games proceed after positive tests unless local public health authorities “require a large group of players or the entire team to go into quarantine.”

    Linfield now seems likely to advance to play Legia Warsaw in Poland next week in the Champions League first qualifying round.

    The qualifying rounds are overlapping with the pandemic-delayed 2019-20 Champions League which resumes on Wednesday at the quarterfinal stage in Lisbon, Portugal.

    Source: Ghana Soccernet

  • Ghanas coronavirus active cases drop significantly GHS

    The number of COVID-19 active cases in Ghana has dropped significantly, the Ghana Health Service (GHS) has announced.

    According to the GHS, Ghana currently has 2,134 active cases from a total of 41,404 infections recorded nationwide with 192 new cases recorded.

    The total number of recoveries/discharges stands at 39,055 with the death toll still at 215.

    Six persons however are in critical condition, 20 remain severe while four have been put on ventilators.

    “A total of 192 new cases were reported on August 8, 2020. These are samples that were taken from the period 29 July to 7 August 2020… but reported from the lab on August 8,” the GHS noted.

    Source: 3 News

  • Work from home: Should data costs replace transport allowances?

    The raging novel Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is changing the way the world works and employers will have to reexamine how they remunerate employees.

    Transport allowance could just be one of the victims of any readjustments in the remuneration packages of workers on the back of a new norm orchestrated by Covid-19.

    In its place could be data allowances, an emerging cost item that employees are having to deal with in other to make the ‘work from home’ craze a reality.

    Transport headache

    Until the emergence of the virus, transporting workers to and from work was one of the top headaches facing employers.

    With increased urbanisation and population growth making it difficult for most workers to reside closer to their work places, getting to work on time and in a good state of mind has been one of the priorities of top-rated employers, if not all those who employ.

    It is such that transport has become a central part of the remuneration packages of employer-employee discussions.

    While some companies resort to transporting their workers to and from work, others prioritise the allocation of fuels to staff with vehicles.

    Similarly, other companies give money under what is generally called transport allowances to staff to cushion them against the hustles of transporting themselves to and from work while other companies combine these three packages under special arrangements and terms.

    Whatever the arrangement, the central objective has always been to aid the worker’s movement to and from the office to help improve delivery and health.

    Covid-19 normal

    But since the outbreak of the novel Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the world has been adjusting to a new normal that promises to permanently impact how people work and the remuneration they get for those works.

    One of them is virtual work. Given the contagious nature of the virus, health experts and authorities advocate that people reduce physical interactions and encourage staying indoors.

    In place of indoors is virtual interaction. Buoyed by the increasing wonders of the Internet and the millions of innovations it is encouraging, people are able to interact with family, friends, colleagues and loved ones while apart as well as execute tasks that they would have ordinarily have been asked to be present while executing.

    As a result, most companies have been promoting virtual work, a craze that is now taking over in organisations and sectors where physical presence is not a necessity to delivery and productivity.

    Thus, in place of transporting oneself to the office or work location, most workers now have the luxury of staying in their homes and still delivering to the satisfaction of their employers.

    This arrangement has loosely been described as working from home and it is fast becoming the smarter way to beat a pandemic whose rage weakens when people associate less.

    Internet costs

    The ‘work from home’ craze has been boosted by the surge in social media applications that make it easier for people to stay connected while miles apart.

    These platforms allow workers to participate in meetings, share and sign off documents and virtually do everything that does not require physical presence to execute.

    Although a good and an innovative way to beat the impact of the pandemic on production, this arrangement requires that employees are equipped with the right tools to be able to deliver.

    Key among those are computers, tablets, mobile phones and Internet sources.

    Thus, in place of transport costs, people who work from homes will have to fund their data costs (in the case of those supplied with office laptops and other electronic devices).

    The commercial nature of the usage means that the costs will represent a credible drain on the salaries of the workers.

    What to do

    One beneficiary of the ‘work from home’ arrangement is Mr Kofi Boadi, a communications consultant who has been working from home since March. He told the Graphic Business that although his transport expenses were consolidated into his salary and data costs were never a headache to him, he now feels that less emphasis should be placed on the former in favour of the latter.

    “Because, I use quite a good chunk of data, about 20 gigabytes (GB), at least for official work.”

    “The average data on one Zoom meeting is about one GB.

    “So if I have 20 meetings in a month, that cost should be borne by the employer,” he said.

    He added that he was aware of colleagues who complained that their data costs had gone up after they were asked to work from home.

    “One used to buy 40GB every month at about GHS100 cedis.”

    “He said he has had to buy data twice in a month now because of the many online meetings,” he added.

    Renegotiations

    Thus, as the intricacies from the pandemic unfold, the human resource management divisions of companies will have to start re-examining the remuneration packages for employees.

    For firms can take up all or part of the data costs of their employees in addition to existing remunerations on transport, that will be super good news.

    However, for those that cannot, recalibrating the package to include or replace transport expenses with data costs will be a must.

    This is necessary not just for the psychological feeling that my employer is paying for my data usage but to ensure that employees do not use lack of data as basis to stay off meetings, delay on delivering tasks or submitting reports, among other bad work ethics.

     

    Source: Graphic.com.gh 

  • Mahama wants clemency for pastor jailed for flouting coronavirus rules

    Former President and Leader of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr John Dramani Mahama, has called on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to grant clemency to a pastor and his two followers jailed for four years for flouting the ban on public gatherings.

    Mr. Mahama says the four-year prison sentence handed down to the pastor, Apostle Sampson Agakpe and two others is draconian and an act of selective justice.

    “We must all abide by the law, that is true, but we should not engage in selective justice, where you apply the law heavily on church workers who flout the law. Yet, during primaries, people were seen flouting the law with impunity and nothing happened to them”, he said.

    The NDC flagbearer, who was speaking during an interaction with Christian leaders in the Northern regional capital Tamale, during his recent visit, observed that the imposition of the COVID-19 restrictions was necessary to help fight the surge in infections and keep the country safe.

    Some of the decisions and outcomes arising out of the imposition of the restrictions, he noted, has not been pleasant.

    “We are all equal before the law. It should not be possible for political parties to flout a law and get away with it, yet when a church flouts the law, the punishment is heavy and draconian.

    We have our Christian colleagues, a pastor and some church workers languishing in jail. They were sentenced to jail for four years. That is a very draconian punishment”, Mr. Mahama said.

    Apostle Sampson Agakpe, founder of the Church of Pure Christ in the Volta Region, was arrested, charged and jailed for four years together with his Assistant Pastor, Maxwell Dzogoedzikpe and the church secretary, Samuel Agakpe.

    Former President Mahama also spoke about the poor education and awareness among the citizenry, recounting an incident in Damango. “In Damango, they ambushed me on the road, a huge crowd of people and nobody was social distancing, and many were not wearing masks. When I drew their attention to the protocols, one of them shouted back that Corona will not infect them.”

     

    Source: Starr FM

  • Coronavirus pandemic has presented numerous opportunities – Akufo-Addo

    President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Monday noted that the Coronavirus pandemic has presented numerous opportunities that can be nurtured to build a stronger, self-reliant and resilient Ghanaian economy.

    He pointed out that the pandemic was a wakeup call for economies to push for self-reliance, as the raging disease had created dysfunction across the world and exposed the weakness of the global supply chain.

    “The COVID pandemic has demonstrated that when you are over-reliant on global supply chains when something like that happens you are truly exposed,” he said, adding that Ghana must learn from and work hard to wean itself off that situation.

    The President was speaking at a ceremony to officially present cash prices to winners of the third season of the Presidential Pitch programme at the Jubilee House, Accra.

    The winners, numbering 20, were given a total of One Million Ghana Cedis to support their start-ups and small businesses.

    The Presidential Pitch programme, an initiative of the Business Development Ministry, is a competition of business concepts where young persons between the ages of 18 and 35 years, vie for government support by presenting innovative, impactful, scalable and viable business ideas and plans.

    The 20 young entrepreneurs were shortlisted from the 100 entries received across the country.

    Noting the negative economic impact that the Coronavirus pandemic had exerted on the world economy, President Akufo-Addo said withstanding those shocks called for the aggressive promotion of innovative and viable economic entities to propel the country out of the long term effects of the disease.

    He cited the example where many countries were thrown out of businesses when China closed its borders due to the pandemic, stressing the need for Ghanaian businesses to ensure that the country does not rely on the global supply chain for survival to forestall any hurt to the economy from such pandemic.

    “We cannot afford to let that happen again. We have now to do things for ourselves and therefore, you who are driving new ideas become that much more important and significant for us,“ he told the young entrepreneurs at the gathering.

    “We are witnesses of how the COVID has impacted negatively on businesses, on economies, not just on our continent but across the entire globe… but some say we just not have to come out of it, but when we come out of it, it is going to be the stage for you.

    “It is the quality of the ideas, your drive and dynamism that is going to determine the world after COVID,” he added.

    President Akufo-Addo was upbeat that the development of viable entrepreneurship among the youth was the panacea to mitigating the economic impact of the pandemic and creating a self-reliant and resilient economy post-COVID-19.

    He urged young entrepreneurs to play a pivotal role in the recovery of the economy post-COVID-19 and to take advantage of the opportunities offered them by the pandemic to become global players.

    “I want you to see yourselves first as Ghanaian entrepreneurs but apart from being Ghanaian entrepreneurs, there is a huge world out there which you must also do your best to conquer…so, you should see yourselves both as Ghanaian entrepreneurs and as global entrepreneurs.

    “And that is why you have been selected as the Presidential pitch winners because you have new ideas and the whole principle should be innovation, innovation, innovation,“ he said.

    Dr Ibrahim Awal, the Business Development minister was full of praise for the Presidents commitment to the development of entrepreneurship in the country.

    He disclosed the initiative (Presidential Pitch Programme) had captured the interest of some countries, who were keen to replicate it in their nations.

    The minister was optimistic that due to government’s proficient approach to handling the pandemic, the country’s economy would bounce back after the episode.

    He called on young entrepreneurs make their innovative ideas count in the collective effort to build a better Ghana.

    Mr Douglas Akoglo, a 26-year-old entrepreneur from Bongo in the Upper East Region, whose pitch on the conversion of shea butter waste into coal, shampoo and anti-dandruff products, won him the first prize received a cash prize of GH¢70,000 and an additional personal cash reward of GH¢30,000 from the President.

    He would also undertake a fully funded work-study programme outside Ghana.

    The second prize winner, Theophilus Dumenyo, presented a business plan for the production of eco-friendly mosquito repellant.

    He was given Ghc60,000.

    The third prize went to Cornelius Nyobator whose business idea on the production of organic pesticide won him Ghc50,000 The rest of the winners received between GH¢30,000 and GH¢45,000 each.

    They would also have the opportunity to be attached to reputable Ghanaian businesses on a work-study programme.

    All the winners were to receive free mentorship, coaching, and business advisory services over the next three years.

    In the first two seasons of the competition, 20 young entrepreneurs were also awarded cash prizes.

     

    Source: GNA

  • 209 new COVID-19 cases push Ghanas case count to 41,212

    The latest update by the Ghana Health Service (GHS) shows that 209 new cases have been recorded, pushing the total coronavirus toll in the country to 41,212.

    The active cases are 2,270 with the discharges/recoveries count pegged at 38,727.

    The death toll, however, still stands at 215.

    According to the Service, these new figures are from samples that were taken from July 28 to August 6, 2020 but reported from the lab on August 7.

    25,084 of the total number of cases were discovered after enhanced contact tracing exercises. 16,128 was through general routine surveillance.

    The Greater Accra Region still leads with 20,585 cases, with the Ashanti Region following with a total of 10,328 cases and the Western Region clocking third with 2,804 cases.

    The case count per each region is as follows:

    Greater Accra Region 20,585

    Ashanti Region 10,328

    Western Region 2,804

    Eastern Region 1,933

    Central Region 1,721

    Bono East Region 684

    Volta Region 623

    Western North Region 568

    Northern Region 454

    Bono Region 439

    Ahafo Region 428

    Upper East Region 282

    Oti Region 204

    Upper West Region 88

    Savannah Region 62

    North East Region 9

     

    Source: citinewsroom 

  • Brazil’s coronavirus death toll surpasses 100,000

    Brazil on Saturday surpassed 100,000 Coronavirus deaths and three million cases of infection, crossing the grim milestone after President Jair Bolsonaro said he had a “clear conscience” on his response to the outbreak.

    With 100,477 fatalities and 3,012,412 confirmed cases, the South American nation of 212 million people is the second hardest-hit country in the global pandemic, after the United States.

    The health ministry reported 905 new deaths in the past 24 hours, as well as 49,970 fresh cases.

    But the official figures are most likely an undercount, with experts estimating that the total number of infections could be up to six times higher due to insufficient testing.

    Brazil has seen 478 deaths per million people, a figure roughly equivalent to that of the United States (487), but lower than that of Spain (609) or Italy (583).

    Senate speaker Davi Alcolumbre announced four days of mourning in Congress to pay tribute to the country’s 100,000-plus virus victims.

    The Coronavirus outbreak in Brazil is showing no sign of slowing as it enters its sixth month.

    The country’s first confirmed COVID-19 case was identified in Sao Paulo on February 26, with the first death on March 12, also in the city.

    Brazil marked 50,000 deaths a hundred days later, but then doubled that total in just half the time.

    Infections have accelerated in recent weeks in the countryside as well as inland regions and areas where the virus was late arriving, particularly the country’s south and center-west.

    In southeastern states such as Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, hardest-hit by the virus in absolute numbers, the situation has stabilized, while the virus’ presence has declined in northern regions after reaching catastrophic levels in April and May.

    ‘Arrogance’

    At Copacabana beach in Rio, activists from the NGO Rio de Paz released 1,000 red balloons Saturday while standing between 100 black crosses stuck in the sand, in a tribute to Brazilians who have died of coronavirus.

    Former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Bolsonaro’s leftist nemesis, on Twitter denounced “the arrogance of a president who has chosen to describe this cruel virus as a little flu, defying science and even death, and who bears in his soul the responsibility for all the lives lost.”

    The contagion has cast a harsh light on Brazil’s inequalities, with the virus wreaking particular havoc on the country’s favelas and hitting black populations especially hard.

    The country’s indigenous Amazon populations have also been hard hit, with one of Brazil’s leading chiefs, 71-year-old Aritana Yawalapiti, dying Wednesday of respiratory complications caused by COVID-19.

    Bolsonaro’s government, which has been criticized for managing the epidemic in a chaotic fashion, is on its third health minister since the virus reached the country.

    The right-wing leader, who tested positive for the virus last month but has since recovered, said Thursday he had “a clear conscience” and had done “everything possible to save lives.”

    Bolsonaro also called the governors of states that took containment measures which he opposed for economic reasons “dictators.”

    Brazil resumed its national football championship on Saturday, three months behind schedule.

    Source: france24.com

  • Coronavirus death toll rises to 215 while active cases reduce further to 2,458

    Active Coronavirus cases in Ghana keeps reducing in consecutive updates by the Ghana Health Service, now standing at 2,458 cases.

    In the previous update by the GHS, active cases of COVID-19 dropped from 3,253 to 2,625 and now to the 2,458 representing a drop by 167 cases.

    The latest update released on Sunday, August 9, 2020, however, indicates that the death toll has risen marginally from 206 from the previous update to 215.

    Meanwhile, cumulative cases so far stand at 41,003 after 470 new cases recorded on August 6, 2020, with 38,330 recoveries/discharges.

    “A total of 470 new cases were reported on August 6, 2020. These are samples that were taken from the period 4 July to 5 August 2020… but reported from the lab on August 6, 2020,” the GHS said on the COVID-19 dedicated website.

    Greater Accra Region still tops all the regions with the number of confirmed cases.

    The region has recorded close to 50% of all confirmed cases in the country, followed by the Ashanti Region and Western Region.

    See below the cumulative cases per region.

    – Case Count from Highest to Lowest-

    Greater Accra Region – 20,491

    Ashanti Region – 10,251

    Western Region – 2,801

    Eastern Region – 1,923

    Central Region – 1,721

    Bono East Region – 660

    Volta Region – 622

    Western North Region – 568

    Northern Region – 454

    Bono Region – 439

    Ahafo Region – 428

    Upper East Region – 282

    Oti Region – 204

    Upper West Region – 88

    Savannah Region – 62

    North East Region – 9

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • Vijayawada: Fire at coronavirus facility in India kills at least seven

    At least seven patients have died after a fire at a temporary Covid hospital in Vijayawada, south-east India.

    The fire broke out at Swarna Palace, a hotel being used to house patients, on Sunday morning.

    It was brought under control in half an hour and all surviving patients have been moved to another hospital in the city, officials said.

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was “anguished” by the blaze, the second fire at a Covid centre in days.

    Sunday’s fire started shortly after 05:00 (23.30GMT).

    The cause is unknown and an investigation has been launched.

    Vijayawada Police Commissioner B Srinivasulu told BBC News Telugu that more than 30 people were at the hotel and the death toll was likely to increase.

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Twitter that his thoughts were with those affected.

    Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has already announced that the victims’ relatives will receive compensation of five million rupees (£51,000).

    The fire comes after eight patients died at a Covid hospital in Ahmedabad on Thursday after a fire broke out inside its critical care unit.

    A senior fire department official told BBC Gujarati that the blaze had spread after a staff member’s PPE kit caught fire due to a short circuit.

    India has the third-highest number of Covid cases in the world, with more than 2.1 million infections recorded. More than 43,000 have died, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

    On Sunday, the country recorded 64,000 cases, a new single-day record.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Coronavirus: Fact-checking fake stories in Africa

    As the number of confirmed coronavirus cases across Africa passed the one million mark this week, we’ve looked into some of the widely shared fake news about the pandemic on the continent.

    Claim: Ghana’s president has endorsed a conspiracy theory video

    Verdict: False

    A voice recording endorsing various false conspiracies about the coronavirus pandemic has been attributed to the President of Ghana. We aren’t sure who’s speaking. It is a West African accent, but it is definitely not President Nana Akufo-Addo.

    Ghana’s Information Minister has confirmed that the voice was not the president’s and said the claim was “obviously false”.

    The message makes various unsubstantiated claims about the origins of the virus, including the widely-shared false notion that the pandemic was a planned event, a so-called ‘plandemic’.

    It also features false claims about mandatory vaccinations and the involvement of Bill Gates in manipulating events.

    We’ve previously written in detail about these compulsory vaccine rumours and the ‘plandemic’ conspiracy theory.

    Different versions of the clip have been circulated in Europe, North America and Africa.

    One, posted on a Nigerian YouTube channel, has clocked up more than 400,000 views.

    The man who runs the channel says he changed the title of the video to “Africa Leader…Exposes Bill Gates Deadly Vaccine For Africa” after people in the comments pointed out it inaccurately named the Ghanaian president.

    However, Nana Akufo-Addo’s photograph is still showing.

    Claim: Drinking alcohol can ward off coronavirus

    Verdict: This false claim was intended as satire, but has been widely shared in Africa.

    A satirical video of a man’s reaction to the re-imposition of an alcohol sale ban in South Africa on a TV news channel has been viewed thousands of times on Facebook and is also circulating on WhatsApp.

    The video has been edited to replace a senior representative of the Liquor Traders Association of South Africa (who was being interviewed), with a comedian.

    The comedian Thandokwakhe Mseleku posted the video of his television appearance on Instagram and YouTube.

    In the video, he says: “Sanitiser has got 70% alcohol, so if you are drinking alcohol, it is like you are sanitizing your inside.”

    Judging by some of the comments to the video, people clearly thought it was real.

    The comedian later labelled his videos as ‘parody’. We have asked Thandokwakhe Mseleku for a comment.

    Drinking alcohol-based hand sanitiser is extremely dangerous and has led to deaths. It certainly doesn’t protect you from coronavirus.

    Claim: Eating high-alkaline foods can eliminate the virus

    Verdict: False.

    A misleading poster claiming to offer advice from inside isolation hospitals on what to do to protect someone from coronavirus has been circulating on social media in Africa.

    It claims that the ‘acidity’ of the virus can be eliminated by consuming high-alkaline foods, and lists a variety of fruits with their apparent pH levels.

    The pH scale ranges from zero (very strong acids) to 14 (most alkaline). A pH of 7 is neutral.

    Some of the values in the shared poster are way off this scale: Avocados register 15.6 and Watercress 22.7. This is simply incorrect.

    But would alkaline foods kill the virus?

    Different parts of the body have different natural pHs which are naturally kept in balance and can’t be changed through diet. For example, blood is very slightly alkaline, your stomach is acidic.

    So eating certain foods would not have an effect on the pH level inside cells.

    “Given that it would be impossible to increase the pH of your cells, then it’s a bit of a pointless argument to determine if high pH would inhibit the virus”, says Connor Bamford, a virologist at Queen’s University Belfast.

    According to Lee Mwiti, Chief Editor, Africa Check, the spread of misinformation on WhatsApp is a particular challenge for fact checkers.

    The messaging app is hugely popular across the African continent, but as a closed platform it is hard to measure the spread of falsehoods and debunk them. He says Africa Check’s work with ‘tiplines’ and podcasts means they are “quite confident that it is a strong source of misinformation”.

    Claim: A coronavirus vaccine trial in Africa has led to the death of two children

    Verdict: False.

    When two French doctors controversially suggested on French TV in April that early vaccine trials should be conducted in Africa, their comments caused an uproar, including among some in the African diaspora.

    A London-based vlogger responded to the French doctors’ comments by falsely claiming that vaccine trials were already under way in Guinea, and made the further false accusation that two children had died as a result.

    The video was illustrated with what was claimed to be a local news report showing unrest on the streets and interviews with sick children.

    In fact, the news report was from March 2019, before the coronavirus outbreak began, and the incident was not related to a vaccine.

    The Guinean health ministry put out a statement at the time which explained some people had experienced side-effects after being given an anti-parasitic drug treatment.

    According to officials interviewed in the report itself and local articles, there were no deaths reported from this treatment.

    The claims in the video first surfaced in May and were debunked at the time, but they have continued to circulate on Facebook and closed WhatsApp groups, and have been watched around 25,000 times on YouTube.

    Local fact checkers are working hard to debunk these and other false stories circulating online.

    Lee Mwiti from Africa Check says the most shared and enduring falsehoods are those that have tapped into people’s anxieties, vulnerabilities and “lack of control in a time of unprecedented disruption”.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Coronavirus deaths in Latin America hit global high

    Latin America and the Caribbean surpassed Europe on Friday to become the region hardest-hit by coronavirus deaths, as India passed the sombre step of recording over two million infections. The world’s worst-hit region had reported 213,120 fatalities, 460 more than Europe, according to an AFP tally based on official data registered at 1700 GMT.

    Worldwide there have been more than 19 million cases and over 715,000 deaths from the virus first reported in China at the end of last year.

    The virus has flared up again in areas where it appeared to have been curbed, but it has steadily spread across sprawling territories in India and Africa.

    India’s cases have doubled in three weeks, reaching two million on Friday following a record daily jump of more than 60,000 new infections.

    It was only the third country after the United States and Brazil to surpass two million cases. Official figures show the world’s second most populous country has also recorded 41,500 deaths.

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi‘s government imposed one of the world’s strictest lockdowns in late March, with tens of millions of migrant workers losing their jobs almost overnight.

    But with the economy in tatters, restrictions have been steadily eased.

    Experts say the true number of cases and deaths are grossly under reported as the cause of death in the country of 1.3 billion people is rarely properly recorded.

    What’s more, the stigmatization of those infected puts off many from getting tested.

    “There’s both the fear of the disease as well as of isolation and quarantine,” Rajib Kumar, who heads the Centre of Social Medicine and Community Health at Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University, told AFP.

    However, there are some positive indicators in Africa, where health authorities warned against complacency amidst hopes that the pandemic is peaking in some countries.

    “African countries are doing their best, despite… limitations,” such as weak health systems, Mary Stephen of the World Health Organization Africa office, told AFP on Friday.

    Some countries have seen declines of around 20 percent in cases but there remain fears of a second wave.

    “Because we don’t see many people like we used to see in Italy, like 1,000 people dying (a day), people tend to relax, they think the risk is not so much in Africa,” said Stephen in a phone interview from Brazzaville.

    Mexico passes 50,000 deaths The world is putting its hope that an effective vaccine will be available sooner rather than later.

    Up to 100 million COVID-19 vaccine doses could be made available for poorer countries by 2021, announced Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.

    The vaccines, priced at a maximum $3 per dose, would be produced at the Serum Institute of India.

    In Latin America, which is already the region with the largest number of cases at 5.3 million, deaths continue to soar.

    Over the last week, 44 percent of global deaths from COVID-19 — 18,300 out of 41,500 — happened in the region.

    More than half, some 2.9 million, are in Brazil, which has also recorded 98,500 deaths among its 212 million people.

    Only the United States has been worse hit.

    The second worst-affected country in Latin America, Mexico, passed 50,000 deaths on Thursday.

    In the United States, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said schools could reopen this fall if they meet certain criteria.

    Schools in several US states have reopened for in-person classes — but some have already been hit by large quarantines of students and staff following fresh outbreaks.

    The US economy regained 1.8 million jobs in July, according to government data, and the unemployment rate fell to 10.2 percent.

    But with COVID-19 cases spiking in several states economists raised concerns that the labor market could ake a turn for the worse.

    Cycling worlds at risk International sport continues to be affected by the virus despite many professional events restarting.

    Organizers of the world cycling championships, set for Switzerland next month, warned the event may be called off because of local health rules.

    And two more top 10 women players — Elina Svitolina and Kiki Bertens — withdrew from the US Open tennis tournament over coronavirus concerns, joining women’s world number one Ashleigh Barty of Australia and Spain’s reigning men’s champion Rafael Nadal.

    Source: Pulse Ghana

  • Coronavirus: Active cases decrease by 628

    Active cases of COVID-19 has seen a reduction from 3,253 to 2625, according to the Ghana Health Service.

    This means that 628 patients recovered and discharged after completing their period of treatment.

    The latest information by the GHS showed thus shoots up the recovery rate which was 36, 638 to 37, 702.

    Meanwhile, Case count for coronavirus in Ghana has reached 40, 533. Death toll however, remains at 206.

    Authorities at health facilities now discharge people infected by COVID-19 after 14 days of treatment once they stop exhibiting symptoms.

    Source: ghanaweb

  • Bono Region: 231 Health workers with COVID-19 recover

    All 231 health workers in the Bono Region who contracted COVID-19 have recovered, the acting Regional Director of the Ghana Health Service, Dr Amo Kodie, has disclosed.

    According to him, the 231 health workers represented 53.6 per cent of the total of 426 cases so far recorded in the region and explained that all recovered health workers had returned to work.

    Dr Kodie was speaking to the Daily Graphic after addressing the Annual Mini Congress of the National Service Personnel Association (NASPA) at Abesim on the theme: “Combating COVID-19: The role of National Service Personnel.”

    As part of the congress, the association donated some COVID-19 safety and hygiene products to some senior high schools and the Electoral Commission (EC) to support the ongoing compilation of the new voters register in the Sunyani Municipality.

    No death

    Dr Kodie said the region had not registered any COVID-19 related death or recorded any severe case as most of the cases, including the health workers were managed at home.

    He explained that the Sunyani Regional Hospital, the Wenchi Methodist Hospital and the Berekum Holy Family Hospital had been earmarked as isolation centres in the region.

    According to him, the recovery rate in the region was almost 100 per cent, emphasising that only one of the victims was currently in isolation.

    Dr Kodie explained that people with hypertension, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, over weight and other immune diseases were more vulnerable to COVID-19 and therefore cautioned such people to protect themselves from contracting the disease.

     

     

    Accept posting

    The Sunyani Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Mrs Justina Owusu Banahene, challenged the personnel to accept posting to rural communities and develop positive mindsets toward the development of the country by giving of their best at their various institutions.

    She charged the personnel to add innovative ideas to the skills and knowledge they had acquired in their various institutions to support the progress of the country.

    Impact on economy

    For his part, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Sunyani East, Mr Kwasi Ameyaw-Cheremeh, said COVID-19 had negatively affected the global economy, explaining that there had been significant job losses as a result of the collapsing of businesses.

    He said the government had taken proper action and rolled out various important programmes and policies to mitigate the consequences of the pandemic in the country and called on the public to support the government in the fight against the disease.

    “Each Ghanaian including you and I have a responsibility to protect or stop the spread of the virus by observing the existing safety protocols,” Mr Ameyaw-Cheremeh stated.

    He said since the outbreak of COVID-19, the government had put in place several interventions to protect citizens and mentioned the establishment of the National COVID-19 Trust Fund, closure of borders, tracing and testing and the institution of lockdown in some parts of the country.

    Stigmatisation

    Mr Ameyaw-Cheremeh appealed to the public to stop stigmatising COVID-19 patients or persons who had recovered from the disease and challenged the service personnel to be ambassadors in their communities.

    Welcoming the gathering, the National President of the association, Mr Owusu Afriye Osei, said they chose the theme in order to use the national service week celebration to assist in the fight against the spread of the disease.

    He said the association decided that every district should donate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to the various district or community health facilities to help halt the spread of the virus.

    “When the community is protected, the service personnel there will likewise be sheltered,” Mr Osei stated.

     

    Source: Graphic.com.gh 

  • Bono Region: 231 Health workers with COVID-19 recover

    All 231 health workers in the Bono Region who contracted COVID-19 have recovered, the acting Regional Director of the Ghana Health Service, Dr Amo Kodie, has disclosed.

    According to him, the 231 health workers represented 53.6 per cent of the total of 426 cases so far recorded in the region and explained that all recovered health workers had returned to work.

    Dr Kodie was speaking to the Daily Graphic after addressing the Annual Mini Congress of the National Service Personnel Association (NASPA) at Abesim on the theme: “Combating COVID-19: The role of National Service Personnel.”

    As part of the congress, the association donated some COVID-19 safety and hygiene products to some senior high schools and the Electoral Commission (EC) to support the ongoing compilation of the new voters register in the Sunyani Municipality.

    No death

    Dr Kodie said the region had not registered any COVID-19 related death or recorded any severe case as most of the cases, including the health workers were managed at home.

    He explained that the Sunyani Regional Hospital, the Wenchi Methodist Hospital and the Berekum Holy Family Hospital had been earmarked as isolation centres in the region.

    According to him, the recovery rate in the region was almost 100 per cent, emphasising that only one of the victims was currently in isolation.

    Dr Kodie explained that people with hypertension, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, over weight and other immune diseases were more vulnerable to COVID-19 and therefore cautioned such people to protect themselves from contracting the disease.

    Accept posting

    The Sunyani Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Mrs Justina Owusu Banahene, challenged the personnel to accept posting to rural communities and develop positive mindsets toward the development of the country by giving of their best at their various institutions.

    She charged the personnel to add innovative ideas to the skills and knowledge they had acquired in their various institutions to support the progress of the country.

    Impact on economy

    For his part, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Sunyani East, Mr Kwasi Ameyaw-Cheremeh, said COVID-19 had negatively affected the global economy, explaining that there had been significant job losses as a result of the collapsing of businesses.

    He said the government had taken proper action and rolled out various important programmes and policies to mitigate the consequences of the pandemic in the country and called on the public to support the government in the fight against the disease.

    “Each Ghanaian including you and I have a responsibility to protect or stop the spread of the virus by observing the existing safety protocols,” Mr Ameyaw-Cheremeh stated.

    He said since the outbreak of COVID-19, the government had put in place several interventions to protect citizens and mentioned the establishment of the National COVID-19 Trust Fund, closure of borders, tracing and testing and the institution of lockdown in some parts of the country.

    Stigmatisation

    Mr Ameyaw-Cheremeh appealed to the public to stop stigmatising COVID-19 patients or persons who had recovered from the disease and challenged the service personnel to be ambassadors in their communities.

    Welcoming the gathering, the National President of the association, Mr Owusu Afriye Osei, said they chose the theme in order to use the national service week celebration to assist in the fight against the spread of the disease.

    He said the association decided that every district should donate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to the various district or community health facilities to help halt the spread of the virus.

    “When the community is protected, the service personnel there will likewise be sheltered,” Mr Osei stated.

    Source: graphic.com.gh

  • COVID-19: Ghana’s Death toll passes 200

    The novel Coronavirus pandemic has now killed 206 people in Ghana.

    This was contained in the latest figures released by the Ghana Health Service (GHS) today (August 7, 2020) in which it reported eight new deaths.

    The GHS update also disclosed that even persons are in critical condition from Coronavirus-related illnesses. Four of the persons in critical condition are breathing with the assistance of a ventilators.

    Case count

    In the update, the GHS also announced 455 new positive cases of Coronavirus, increasing the country’s cumulative case count to 40,097.

    However, the country has 3,253 active cases and 36, 638 recoveries from the illness.

    “A total of 455 new cases were reported on August 4, 2020. These are samples that were taken from the period 15 July to 3 August 2020 as seen in Figure 11 but reported from the lab on August 4,” the update reads.

    Cumulative Cases per Region

    Greater Accra Region 20,300

    Ashanti Region 9,972

    Western Region 2,766

    Eastern Region 1,809

    Central Region 1,669

    Volta Region 614

    Bono East Region 569

    Western North Region 526

    Bono Region 439

    Northern Region 424

    Ahafo Region 364

    Upper East Region 282

    Oti Region 204

    Upper West Region 88

    Savannah Region 62

    North East Region 9

    Source: graphic.com.gh

  • Ghanas coronavirus load now 39,642 with 36,384 recoveries

    Ghana has recorded 567 new COVID-19 cases, taking the total national tally to 39,642.

    The new cases were reported in the lab on 3 August 2020.

    Some 36,384 of them have recovered and been discharged.

    The death toll remains 199.

    Currently, the active load is 3,059.

    Eight of them are in a critical condition, four on ventilators, and 22 in severe condition.

    So far, a total of 407,588 tests have been conducted.

    Regional breakdown of coronavirus cases

    Greater Accra Region – 20,199

    Ashanti Region – 9,747

    Western Region – 2,761

    Eastern Region – 1,766

    Central Region – 1,622

    Volta Region – 614

    Bono East Region – 536

    Western North Region – 526

    Bono Region – 439

    Northern Region – 424

    Ahafo Region – 364

    Upper East Region – 282

    Oti Region – 203

    Upper West Region – 88

    Savannah Region – 62

    North East Region – 9

     

    Source: Class FM

  • Ghana records 567 new COVID-19 cases; clinical recoveries now 36,384

    Ghana has recorded 567 new COVID-19 cases. This pushes the case count to 39,642.

    Meanwhile, the active case count has dropped from 3,313 to 3,059 per the latest update.

    According to the Ghana Health Service, the cases were reported in the lab on August 3, 2020.

    However, clinical recoveries have also risen to 36,384.

    Out of this number, eight are in a critical condition, four on ventilators, and 22 in severe condition.

    A total of 407,588 tests have been conducted in the country since March 2020.

    Current regional breakdown

     

    Source: citinewsroom 

  • Fight against coronavirus on course – Akufo-Addo

    President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has advised Ghanaians not to compromise on their responsibilities regarding adherence to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) safety protocols.

    He said that was the way to go in order to stem the spread of the pandemic, which had over the last four months led to 182 deaths in the country.

    According to the Ghana Health Service‘s portal on the pandemic, the country’s confirmed case count stood at 35,501 with 32,096 recoveries as of Friday, July 31.

    Eight of the confirmed cases have been identified as critical.

    President Akufo-Addo, who was addressing the Ashanti Regional leadership of the Muslim community, at the Kumasi Central Mosque, rallied the people to comply with the mandatory wearing of nose masks.

    “We are required as good citizens to always maintain personal Hygiene, while observing all the COVID-19 preventive protocols for own good,” he noted.

    The President said Ghana’s recovery and death rates in respect of the pandemic indicated that the government’s resolve to deal with the threat posed by the coronavirus disease was on course.

    However, he said: “The citizenry should not take things for granted but continue to do the right thing to enhance their wellbeing.”

    President Akufo-Addo, who is on a working visit to the Region, was grateful to the leadership of the Muslim community for creating the needed awareness on the disease amongst the people.

    He asked them not to relax in their efforts to support government in the fight against the pandemic.

    Sheikh Haroun Abdul- Mummin, the Regional Chief Imam, said the Muslim faithful would continue to pray fervently for the protection of the citizenry.

     

    Source: Peace FM

  • Coronavirus: Death toll now 182 as case count climbs to 35,501

    Death toll from the coronavirus in Ghana stands at 182 as 359 new cases take the national case count to 35,501.

    According to the Ghana Health Service (GHS), 32,096 persons have recovered from the virus or have been discharged.

    Active cases now stand at 3,223 as of July 28, 2020, according to the GHS.

    The latest figures released on July 31, according to the GHS, represent samples taken between July 16 and July 27 but reported from the lab on July 28.

    Greater Accra Region still has the highest recorded cases followed by the Ashanti Region.

    Greater Accra Region has recorded a total of 18, 273 so far but active cases 1,900.

    Below is the full regional breakdown of cases.

    Greater Accra Region 18,273;

    Ashanti Region 8,770;

    Western Region 2,583;

    Central Region 1,430;

    Eastern Region 1,416;

    Volta Region 593;

    Bono East Region 483;

    Bono Region 439;

    Western North Region 363;

    Northern Region 354;

    Upper East Region 282;

    Oti Region 192;

    Ahafo Region 164;

    Upper West Region 88;

    Savannah Region 62;

    North East Region 9

     

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • Details of the 7 persons whose demise increased Ghanas coronavirus deaths to 182

    7 more persons in Ghana have succumbed to Coronavirus, bringing the death toll to 182, the Ghana Health Service (GHS) has announced.

    According to the statistics available on GHS website, 5 of the persons are from the Ashanti region while 2 are from the Greater Accra region. 5 are males; the other 2 are females.

    While 3 had co-morbidities such as hypertension, diabetes, anemia and renal failure, the others had no underlining health conditions.

    The ages are 60, 70, 67, 74, 49, 33 and 55.

    Meanwhile, the cumulative figure of confirmed cases is 35,501 after 359 new cases were confirmed per the latest update.

    “A total of 359 new cases were reported on July 28, 2020. These are samples that were taken from the period 16 to 27 July 2020… but reported from the lab on July 28,” stated the GHS.

    According to GHS, 32,096 persons have recovered from the virus or have been discharged. Active cases now stand at 3,223.

    Out of the 3,223 cases, 8 are critical, 4 on ventilator while 22 are severe.

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • No student has died of coronavirus Dr. Aboagye Dacosta

    The Ghana Health Service has stated categorically that not a single student has been killed by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

    Following the outbreak of the virus in some senior high schools across the country and subsequent deaths of some students, many were quick to attribute the deaths to COVID-19.

    The latest is the death of a female second-year Gold Track student of Oyoko Methodist Senior High School in Koforidua.

    She collapsed while writing Literature in English Paper Thursday afternoon. She was rushed to the St. Joseph Hospital but pronounced dead on arrival.

    Kasapa News has gathered that the General Arts student was not well in the last three days, and was treated at the sick bay but collapsed during the examination and died.

    But speaking to host Bonohene Baffuor Awuah on Anopa Kasapa on Kasapa 102.5 FM, the Director of Health Promotions at the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Aboagye DaCosta, dismissed such speculation insisting that no student has died of COVID-19.

    “None of the students who were asked to resume schooling has died of Coronavirus and that must be placed on record. Those who have died lost their lives to other ailments.”

    Source: Kasapa FM

  • SHS student reportedly collapses and dies during exams

    A second-year gold-track student of Oyoko Methodist Senior High School in Koforidua has died during exams.

    The female student collapsed while writing Literature in English WASSCE Thursday afternoon.

    She was immediately rushed to the St. Joseph Hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival.

    Starr News has gathered that the General Arts student was not well in the last three days and was treated at the sickbay.

    The cause of death has not been ascertained as yet.

    Education officials in the region are currently at the hospital where she died.

    Source: Starr FM

  • Coronavirus: A total of 32,096 patients recover, discharged

    Ghana has recorded 32,096 recoveries and discharges with the active cases declining steadily to 3,223, as at July 28, 2020.

    However, seven more persons have succumbed to the respiratory disease, bringing the death toll to 182 cases, representing 0.51 per cent of the mortality rate, which is below the global average of over two per cent.

    Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), announced this in Accra on Thursday, at the COVID-19 Case Count and Management update.

    The Director-General said 359 new cases of COVID-19 were recorded between July 6 and 27 from 41 districts and in 10 regions.

    Dr Kuma-Aboagye said so far 35,501 cumulative cases had been recorded since the first case was recorded on March 12, with 391,378 sample tests conducted, indicating 12,000 tests per a million population.

    Out of the 359 new cases, the Eastern region recorded 112 cases, Greater Accra- 68, Central- 64, Northern – 49, Ashanti-22, Ahafo -14, Upper West -9, Bono – 8, Western North -7, and Savannah -5.

    The Greater Accra and Greater Kumasi remained the hotspots for the dreaded disease.

    The Director-General explained that the active cases were the disease burden of the country, which were being isolated, treated and managed in isolation and treatment centres, with the rest under home management.

    Dr Kuma-Aboagye advised Ghanaians not to take the steady decline in the COVID-19 cases for granted, and thus, underlined the need for all and sundry to continue observing the hygiene and safety protocols since that was the surest way to curb the spread of the respiratory disease.

    Source: GNA

  • Eid-ul-Adha: Pray for Ghana to defeat coronavirus – NPP urges Muslims

    The ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) has urged Muslims in the country to raise prayers for Ghana and the world at large to defeat the coronavirus pandemic.

    In a statement signed by the General Secretary of the party, John Boadu, he admonished them not to mark the day for celebrations sake but see it as a day to reflect on the sacrifices to their Maker, fellow humans and to society at large.

    “While at it, the party also reminds them of the fact of this day not just being a day for celebrations, but more importantly, a day for them to reflect on their sacrifices, first of all, to their Maker, and then to fellow humans and to society at large.

    “Finally, the NPP, while appealing to the Muslim Ummah to use these two solemn occasions to renew their covenant with Almighty Allah, also implores them to say special prayers for the world and Ghana in particular to contain and ultimately defeat the novel coronavirus,” the statement read.

    Muslims across the globe will on Friday, July 30, 2020 mark their Eid-Ul-Adha.

    Read full statement:

    Today marks the day of Arafah signalling the commemoration of Prophet Muhammed’s (SAW) final sermon and the completion of the Message of Islam.

    Ordinarily, this day would see some millions of Muslims worldwide who have made it to the Holy land of Makkah move from Mina to mount Arafat, also known as the “Mount of Mercy” for the most important part of the Hajj pilgrimage.

    However, owing to the extraordinary times we find ourselves occasioned by the deadly Covid-19 outbreak, the holy pilgrimage to Makkah, this year, unlike ever before, has been restricted to only the Muslims who are within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. We are not in normal times indeed.

    The climax of Arafah on the ninth day of Dhu-Hijjah paves way for the observance of Eid-Ul-Adha the following day by the rest of the Muslim Ummah. Friday, 31st July, 2020, is therefore the Eid day.

    Eid-Ul-Adha, in essence, marks the culmination of the holy pilgrimage and significantly, it is a commemoration of Prophet Ibrahim’s famous sacrifice to Almighty Allah.

    As these two historic events are being observed, the NPP is pleased to wish all Muslims the very best in these celebrations both of which mark an important milestone on the Islamic calendar.

    While at it, the party also reminds them of the fact of this day not just being a day for celebrations, but more importantly, a day for them to reflect on their sacrifices, first of all, to their Maker, and then to fellow humans and to society at large.

    Finally, the NPP, while appealing to the Muslim Ummah to use these two solemn occasions to renew their covenant with Almighty Allah, also implores them to say special prayers for the world and Ghana in particular to contain and ultimately defeat the novel coronavirus.

    We are in this together, and certainly, in the name of Almighty ALLAH, (Subhaanahu Wa ta Aala), this too, in the words of His Excellency President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, SHALL pass to the glory of Allah and country.

    Assalamu alaikum

    …Signed…

    JOHN BOADU

    GENERAL SECRETARY, NPP

    Source: Peace FM

  • Vacation for SHSs with coronavirus cases to be delayed

    Senior High Schools (SHSs) which have recorded cases of coronavirus in the last 14 days will have vacations for second-year students delayed.

    This is to allow health officials assess and trace contacts of cases before allowing the students to go home.

    Already, the second-year Gold Track students who went to school together with the final-years are almost done with their academic work.

    Health officials have, therefore, put in place measures in discharging these students.

    “The schools that have not reported any case means that those students can vacate and go,” Director-General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye stated on Thursday, July 30 at the bi-weekly press update by the Ministry of Information.

    “The second category is for schools that have had a case. I think in the last two weeks, there have been no case. I advise that they can also vacate and go home.

    “The third group will be any school that has had positive case in the last two weeks. The assessment will be done to identify those who are contacts and if any of them is in that class, their vacation will be delayed while we do an assessment and observation after which they will be asked to go home.”

    So far, Ghana has recorded a total of 35,501 cases of the virus with 182 deaths

    Source: 3 News

  • Coronavirus: Ghanas case count now 35,142 with 7 new deaths

    The death toll from the novel coronavirus pandemic in Ghana now stands at 175 with a cumulative case count of 35, 142, according to latest figures released by the Ghana Health Service.

    Active cases in the country now stands at 3,681 as at July 27, 2020.

    The Greater Accra Region has the highest case count with 18, 205 cases followed by the Ashanti Region with 8, 748 cases.

    The cumulative cases per region are presented below as follows:

    – Greater Accra Region – 18,205

    – Ashanti Region – 8,748

    – Western Region – 2,576

    – Central Region – 1,366

    – Eastern Region – 1,304

    Cumulative cases per region continued:

    – Volta Region – 593

    – Bono East Region – 483

    – Bono Region – 431

    – Western North Region – 363

    – Northern Region – 309

    – Upper East Region – 282

    – Oti Region – 192

    – Ahafo Region – 145

    – Upper West Region – 79

    – Savannah Region – 57

    – North East Region – 9

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • Coronavirus: Rapid Diagnostic Testing kits falls short of standards FDA

    The Foods and Drugs Authority (FDA) on Tuesday said 34 antibody Rapid Diagnostic Testing (RDT) kits submitted for validation for use in COVID-19 detection, have failed to meet best international standards.

    Madam Delese Mimi Darko, the FDA Chief Executive Officer, said the acceptance criterion for an RDT validation was sensitivity and a specificity of 99 per cent; stating that the Authority had communicated the results of the test to those who submitted the kits.

    “These RDTs have come in from Ghana, China, United States, Canada, Korea, Finland, Malaysia, Singapore and the United Kingdom,” Madam Darko stated in her presentation at the meet the press series organised by the Ministry of Information to give an update on the COVID-19 pandemic.

    She said antibody RDT Kits were supposed to be used for preliminary screening or emergency screening in a country when resources were limited; “they use blood samples and they give quick results”.

    In response to the growing COVID-19 pandemic and shortages of laboratory-based molecular testing capacity and reagents, multiple diagnostic test manufacturers have developed and began selling rapid and easy-to-use devices to facilitate testing outside of laboratory settings.

    These simple test kits are based either on detection of proteins from the COVID-19 virus in respiratory samples (e.g. sputum, throat swab) or detection, in blood or serum, of human antibodies generated in response to infection.

    Madam Darko said: “Taking all of them into consideration, we have a specificity of between 85 and 99 per cent and sensitivity between 4 and 54 per cent.

    “So if you say that a test is sensitive; it means that it is called a true positive; if you test somebody who is considered sensitive, they would have had the decease before or they are currently having the decease.”

    Madam Darko said the specificity of an RDT determines people who have not being exposed before; “so it is what we call the true negative”.

    “Why do we require an RDT to be highly sensitive? If an RDT is highly sensitive it means that all the true positives will be captured, if it is highly specific or specificity it means that all the true negatives will also be captured. So the fewer false results you have the better it is for the population.”

    She said antibodies tell who had had the virus and how far wide it has spread; stating that, “yet it is a quicker method to use than maybe the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR).

    She noted that it takes some of them 15 minutes to display their results.

    She said antibody test kits were supposed to be registered by the Food and Drugs Authority before they could be used in Ghana; adding that the RDT kit validation was being done by the FDA in collaboration with Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research and the Public Health Reference Laboratory of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.

    “They are classified as what we call class four medical devices and the FDA has a guide line for the registration of these medical devices and you require an import permit to bring in even if they are for personnel use,” she said.

    Source: GNA

  • NSS In Bolgatanga goes digital to curb the spread of coronavirus

    ShareThe National Service Scheme (NSS) in the Bolgatanga Municipal, Upper East Region has adopted online services for applications and postings to minimize direct contact with stakeholders.

    The measure is to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus and keep all stakeholders safe.

    Mr Brown Korley, the Municipal Manager of the National Service Scheme, in an interview with the GNA in Bolgatanga, said his office began receiving applications online from user organizations for the services of NSS personnel.

    He said because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the scheme had moved away from the traditional system of distributing letters and personal arrangement to online applications by the user organizations.

    It was also using television and radio to make announcements on updates for interested student applicants and user organizations.

    “We are not in normal times and the observance of COVID- 19 protocols is critical and it is more difficult to take letters of students on attachment round to user organizations that request for their services,” Mr Korley said.

    He said over 1,000 National Service Personnel were attached to various institutions in the Municipality within the 2019 -2020 year and trained teachers were due to complete their service in August while other two batches in education and health would end their service in September 2020.

    Mr Sulemana Harrin Paul, a National Service Person, who will be completing his attachment at the Bolgatanga Regional Coordinating Council in August 2020, appreciated the strict adherence to the COVID-19 protocols by the Council, which ensures that hand washing buckets, soap and sanitizers were available all the time.

    He urged other organizations patronizing National Service personnel to endeavour to do same to protect them from the virus by providing Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) and constantly ensuring that they followed the protocols.

    Notable institutions that patronize the services of the scheme include the Ghana Education Service, the Regional Coordinating Council, District Assemblies and the Volta River Authority.

    Source: GNA

  • Coronavirus does not spread fast in buses – GHS

    The evidence so far in the country does not support the risk of transfer of COVID-19 in cars like other diseases, Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) has said.

    The evidence so far in the country does not support the risk of transfer of COVID-19 in cars like other diseases, Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) has said.

    “Our advice to allow all form of transportation services to resume full operation is that based on our experiences and contact tracing activities we have had cases all over but we have not found anyone who traced the infection through transport,” he said.

    Speaking at a media briefing to give updates, Dr Kuma-Aboagye stated that activities in cars were not like other places because the passenger is supposed to wear a nose mask, which limited the spread of the virus.

    He said the virus spread through contacts and droplets from an infected person through speaking, singing, coughing and sneezing.

    Dr Kuma-Aboagye said although in theory when more people were allowed out the risk was likely to go up and lead to spikes, adherence to the safety protocols would enhance safety.

    He said it was observed that people were increasingly adapting to the COVID-19 safety protocols and that was the reason why the government was easing the restrictions.

    “Also since we have to live with the disease, it is important everyone adheres to the protocols religiously. That is the key solution because I know someone who has been with infected persons for some time now but the fellow has not contracted the virus,” he said.

    The GHS and stakeholders had intensified their education on COVID-19 and urged the media to support the cause.

    Source: GNA

     

  • Dr Nsiah Asare explains why restrictions on two female national teams was lifted

    Presidential adviser on health, Dr Anthony Nsiah Asare has explained the reasons behind why the government eased restrictions on two female national teams.

    He says that the Sports Minister presented proposals to the government about impending assignments for the two female national teams.

    According to Dr Nsiah Asare the team will be camping at places where tight security will be provided in order to prevent the to and fro of persons into the training camp.

    “The minister of sports had earlier presented a proposal on the national teams who had international assignments so we had to advise the president to allow the teams train beginning 1st August 2020″he told Kumasi FM.

    “The return matches of these national teams will be playing behind closed doors,the GFA will chose the venues for these games”

    “The teams will be camped with tight security where no one will be allowed to come out as done in our second cycle institutions till they complete the return encounters”

    “We will be doing the mandatory testing for these national teams as FIFA has recommended and the European clubs are following” he added.

     

    Source: Ghana Guardian

  • COVID-19: Ghana records reduction in active cases

    The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has announced a reduction in Ghana’s active COVID-19 cases.

    The Director-General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr Patrick Kumah Aboagye, at a press briefing today in Accra said the country now has 3,617 active cases, a reduction of 38 cases from the last announced figure (3,655).

    Dr Aboagye said the country also had 30,621 recoveries from the illness from a cumulative total of 34,406 cases and 168 deaths (a cases fatality ratio of 0.54%) as of July 26.

    Testing

    Dr Aboagye stated that the country had so far conducted a total of 382,752 tests with an 8.9% test positivity rate.

     

    He said: “The active cases continue to stay quite low… now we are doing 11 percent of our cases which are active, the rest have all recovered.

    “We need to focus on active cases because that is where we need to respond with our healthcare services, with our beds, our contract tracing and we are lucky that the numbers seem to be going low…”.

     

    Source: Graphic.com.gh 

  • Government urged to reopen basic schools

    A senior lecturer at the University for Development Studies (UDS), Faculty of Education, Dr. Ibrahim M. Gunu pleads with government to reopen basic schools in low risky areas.

    He argues that the continuous closure of basic schools in Ghana as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic could lead to an upsurge in early marriages, school dropouts and child labour in Northern part of Ghana.

    In an article, Dr. Gunu stated that, “I want to commend government for the continuous engagement of significant stakeholders in the education sector and I suggests that government should at least reopen basic schools in low risky areas in Ghana by September, 2020.”

    “We need to know that children cannot wait for that long. Children learn less, and lose the habit of learning. In some parts of Ghana if schools are not reopened, students may give up their studies and start work or get married. Children are more likely going to suffer abuse, malnutrition and poor mental health.”

    “Parents who have nowhere to drop their children struggle to go to work.”

    According to Dr. Gunu, Ghana’s high recoveries rate coupled with government’s stringent measures put in place to curb the pandemic’s widespread are enormous, hence his assertion.

    Below is the full text.

    The world has been under a lockdown for some time now as a result of COVID-19. Globally, schools, Colleges and Universities were closed as a result of the fear of spread of the disease.

    The continuous delay in reopening schools, Colleges, and Universities across the country, generated psychological effects on students, which can be expressed as anxiety, fear, worry, and even trauma, among others.

    In search of normalcy regarding teaching and learning in Ghanaian Schools, Colleges and Universities, the government of Ghana provided guidelines and support for these institutions, which I consider as a good leadership direction.

    Based on the guidelines, Universities in Ghana resorted to remote instruction in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

    The end of the school year in Ghana is associated with examinations. These are often used to select or certify students as they move from one level to the next or into the workforce.

    Concerns regarding the question of what it means to have spent years working towards an exam or a degree only to graduate in one of the longest waiting periods became an issue.

    Subsequently, final year students were recalled to take their examination in the Universities, Colleges, Junior High Schools (JHS) and Senior High Schools (SHS).

    Final year students in the Colleges of Education and some Universities have successfully finished their final examinations.

    It is important to mention that final year students participating in examination is a good idea. In my opinion, it will reduce the unbearable psychological pressure on them.

    Recommendations

    The Ghana Education Service (GES) in collaboration with the Ghana Health Service (GHS) should ensure the continuous observance of health protocols in schools in order to contain the spread of the COVID 19 pandemic in schools.

    The most vulnerable teachers should stay at home. Reduce class sizes, reduce contact hours for a start.

    Reorganize timetables to prevent crowding at school gates, ensure compulsory wearing of masks and separate desks with recommended spacing dimension.

    Government should allow continuing students in grades 1-8 (Primary 1 to JHS2) to be promoted to the next grade without taking examinations.

    Remedial measures should be put in place to support the students and government should avoid a situation where the entire academic year will be cancelled.

    The reopening of schools should not be a partisan issue, as it has sadly become in Ghana, where some people will assume it to be bad idea.

    The teacher unions should not take political stands and rather work with the government to support our children in the schools.
    Conclusion

    I wish to thank government for taking the needed steps to ensure normalcy in our schools (JHS and SHS), Colleges and Universities in Ghana.

    Whilst appreciating the fact that many parents are scared that schools are somehow crowded, that small children may not observe social distancing, cases are rising and many other examples, equally we need to know that recoveries are high and the cost of missing school is huge.

    This unprecedented crisis calls for a collaborative efforts for which reason, parents, teachers, politicians and other significant stakeholders should support the students and stop creating fear and panic as this will not support the growth and development of the nation.

     

    Source: Abdul Karim Naatogmah, Contributor

  • Government to pull down GBC, Telcos masts at Wa Airport

    Masts belonging to the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation and some telecommunications networks mounted around the Wa Airport are hampering the full operationalization of the facility, Aviation Minister Joseph Kofi Adda has said.

    According to Mr Adda, efforts to get owners of the masts to remove them have proved futile.

    Answering questions in the name of Wa Central MP Dr. Rashid Pelpuo, Mr. Adda disclosed that but for COVID-19, the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority through the national security were going to pull down the masts and surcharge the owners.

    According to the Navrongo MP, the continuous existence of the masts pose a threat to aircrafts.

    “The main obstacles faced at the Wa Airport are the siting of communication masts in the airspace around the airport. The masts are owned by the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, Radio Upper West, Vodafone and AirtelTigo.”

    “The authority was collaborating with the appropriate authorities to move the masts and surcharge the owners when the COVID-19 pandemic came up and stalled the process. In this regard, the GCAA has since resumed its collaboration with the appropriate agencies to get the masts removed,” Mr Adda told Parliament.

    Source: Starr FM

  • New 655 coronavirus cases push cumulative case count to 33,624

    Ghana has recorded 655 new cases of coronavirus, the Ghana Health Service (GHS) has announced.

    The latest update sends the total number of confirmed cases to 33,624. The death toll remains 168 while recoveries/discharges have increased to 29,801, leaving the country with 3,655.

    Below is the Regional Breakdown of the cases record so far:

    Greater Accra Region – 17,383

    Ashanti Region – 8,229

    Western Region – 2,563

    Central Region – 1,362

    Eastern Region – 1,244

    Volta Region – 588

    Bono East Region – 436

    Bono Region – 426

    Western North Region – 363

    Northern Region – 308

    Upper East Region – 282

    Oti Region – 174

    Ahafo Region – 121

    Upper West Region – 79

    Savannah Region – 57

    North East Region – 9

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • We welcome the opportunity to expand our services – Most Rev Boafo

    The Most Reverend Dr Paul Kwabena Boafo, Chairman of the Christian Council of Ghana, has welcomed the easing of the COVID-19 restrictions on in-person church services and urged Christians to comply with the safety protocols.

    Most Rev. Boafo, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, in Accra, on Monday, said the leaders of the Church must show good faith by strictly adhering to all safety protocols to prevent the spread of COVID-19 among members.

    Most Rev. Boafo, who is also as the Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church, Ghana, reminded the Church that the protocols provided an effective means to end community spread, hence the importance of collaborating with health authorities and the State through self-regulation and monitoring.

    He thanked the President for involving the Church in all the deliberations in the fight against the pandemic.

    “We are grateful for listening and even engaging us in coming out with this decision. We are also thankful for the donation of PPE through the Ministry of Local Government- it went a long way to serve our societies in the rural areas. The veronica buckets, tissue paper, soaps and detergents and all of that have been useful”.

    Most Rev. Boafo urged Ghanaians to continue to have faith in God to see them through the pandemic. He said the Church would continue to pray for all the frontline health workers so they could continue to lead the fight against the virus.

    Most Rev. Boafo also thanked the media for its role in educating the public on the pandemic and the need to observe the safety protocols.

    The President on Sunday, July 26, announced the lifting on the restriction on in-person church and mosque services in properly fresh air-ventilated environments, amid the observation of social distancing and hygiene protocols, effective, Saturday, August 1, 2020.

    Services, are however, not to exceed two hours, while there should be a record of congregants for contact tracing.

    At present, in-person services must not have congregants exceeding 100, while services must not exceed one hour.

    Source: GNA

  • COVID-19: Restrictions on transport sector lifted; trotros, taxis to take full capacity

    As part of the second phase of easing of COVID-19 restrictions by the government, commercial vehicles are to return to taking the normal number of passengers in their vehicles.

    This was announced by the President, Nana Akufo-Addo during his 14th address to update the nation on measures taken by the government in the COVID-19 battle.

    “In consultation with the Ministries of Transport and Aviation and the leadership of transport operators, Government has taken the decision to lift the restrictions in the transport sector, and allow for full capacity in our domestic airplanes, taxis, trotros and buses. The wearing of masks in vehicles and aircrafts, and the maintenance of enhanced hygiene protocols, remain mandatory,” he declared.

    Road Transport Operators after consultations with the Ghana Private Transport Union (GPRTU) and the Ghana Road Transport Coordinating Council, in March, announced some measures to ensure social distancing among passengers in commercial vehicles.

     

    This move was among others aimed at ensuring that the precautionary directives given by President Nana Akufo-Addo on social distancing were observed on all public transport vehicles and terminals to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

    The following measures were agreed upon:

    • All Passenger Carrying-vehicles including taxis seating 1-3 passengers on a row shall seat not more than two passengers on a row.
    • All Passenger Carrying-vehicles seating 1-4 passengers on a row shall seat not more than three passengers on a row
    • All Passenger carrying vehicles seating 1-5 passengers on a row shall seat not more than three passengers on a row.

    Commercial vehicle drivers, following this directive, lamented the low level of revenue gotten from business due to the reduced number of passengers in the vehicles.

    On the back of this, they demanded an increase in transport fares to make up for the losses made while obeying the order to ensure social distancing in their vehicles.

    Recent increase in transport fares

    Since Saturday, 11 July 2020, commuters have been paying 15% more in transport fares following approval by the government for commercial transport operators to hike fares.

    A deputy Transport Minister, Nii Kwartei Titus Glover had told Citi News that the decision was taken after a meeting with transport operators on Tuesday, July 7, 2020.

    He said the transport operators made an alternative proposal which was for the government to allow them to revert to carrying their usual full seating capacity or for the fares to be adjusted upwards by 30%.

    Titus Glover said after considering both proposals, the government decided to approve the increment in transport fares by 15%.

     

    Source: citinewsroom 

  • Coronavirus: Black Starlets to resume training ahead of qualifiers

    Ghana’s national U-17 team, the Black Starlets, have been given the go-ahead by government to begin camping ahead of their upcoming qualifiers in September amid the Coronavirus pandemic.

    President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in his State of the Nation address on measures to curb the spread of the Coronavirus eased restrictions on football activities by giving the green light for three of the junior national teams both male and female, Black Starlets U-17, Black Princesses U-20 and the Black Maidens U-17 to resume training for their respective competitions.

    “Our female Under-20 and Under-17 national football teams have been given the clearance to go into their respective training camps to begin preparations towards their FIFA and CAF-sanctioned international matches, which begin in September”.

    “Whilst in training, the playing, technical and management teams must observe strictly all the protocols issued by Government, CAF and FIFA against COVID-19. All other team and contact sports, and competitive sporting events remain suspended till further notice”, the president said in his statement.

    GHANAsoccernet.com has gathered that the Black Starlets will begin camping at the Glow Lamp Academy in Abresia in the Central Region.

    Source: Ghana Soccernet

  • Fares must go down now COPEC on eased transport sector restrictions

    The Chamber of Petroleum Consumers (COPEC) is calling on commercial transport operators to reduce their fares immediately as they return to taking passengers at full seating capacity.

    “We are, by this statement calling on some of our major stakeholders in the transport sector including the GPRTU, Concerned Drivers Association, Committed Drivers Association and the Ghana Road Transport Coordinating Council to immediately without fail, ensure that transport fares are reversed by close of day tomorrow [Monday],” COPEC urged in a statement.

    The government recently approved a 15% increment in transport fares following fuel price hikes amid social distancing in vehicles.

    During his 14th address to update the public on measures taken by the government in the COVID-19 battle on Sunday, July 26, 2020, President Nana Akufo-Addo said commercial vehicles can now take full capacity.

    “In consultation with the Ministries of Transport and Aviation and the leadership of transport operators, Government has taken the decision to lift the restrictions in the transport sector, and allow for full capacity in our domestic airplanes, taxis, trotros and buses. The wearing of masks in vehicles and aircrafts, and the maintenance of enhanced hygiene protocols, remain mandatory,” said the President.

    But COPEC in a statement signed by its Executive Secretary, Duncan Amoah however suggested that the recent fare increases could be slashed by 5% “since fuel price variance as at this point remains positive by at least a further 12% from the pre-COVID-19 lockdown period.”

    Below is the full statement from COPEC

    CHAMBER OF PETROLEUM CONSUMERS-GHANA

    ACCRA

    26/07/20

    REDUCE TRANSPORT FARES IMMEDIATELY.

    The President of the Republic in his 14th Covid-19 address to the nation on Sunday has among other things issued new directives for the commercial transport operators to forthwith pick the normal number of passengers as before the lockdown and the accompanying social distancing restrictions.

    What this directive means is that every revenue that until the date has been losing per trip by the commercial transport operators before the announcement during the period and for which commuters have recently been forced to cough up additional 15-30% transport fare increases is now restored in favour of our commercial transport operators and thus the recent increases of between 15-30% must and should be reversed forthwith.

    The Chamber takes cognisance of the fact that the period prior to the covid-19 lockdowns and restrictions had fuel prices trading at ghc5.650/litre but due to a global fall in demand and its attendant effects on pricing, fuel prices dropped by over 30% to below Ghc3.890/litre and has in recent times gone up marginally by a cumulative average of 16% to currently average 4.80/litre at the pumps.

    The above thus renders any possible argument on the part of transport operators for a stay of current transport fares at this point, citing the marginal fuel price increases as an excuse ostensibly to deny Ghanaian commuters the deserved reductions in transport fares moot since the fuel price variance before and after the lockdown period remains a distant 10%+ positive to the commercial transport operators at this point.

    We are, by this statement calling on some of our major stakeholders in the transport sector including the GPRTU, Concerned Drivers Association, Committed Drivers Association and the Ghana Road Transport Coordinating Council to immediately without fail, ensure that transport fares are reversed by close of day tomorrow, not only to previous rates but a further 5% reduction possibly on the previous rates before these recent increases since fuel price variance as at this point remains positive by at least a further 12% from the pre-covid-19 lockdown period.

    Signed.

    Duncan Amoah
    Executive Secretary.

     

    Source: citinewsroom 

  • Government to decide on the reopening of all schools soon – President Akufo-Addo

    Government will decide when schools will reopen after the current examinations involving final year students are concluded by mid-September, President Akufo-Addo says.

    “I will keep you fully informed about the outcomes,” the President gave the assurance on Sunday night in his 14th COVID-19 updates to the nation.

    He said the safety and good health of students and staff had been the paramount considerations in the reopening of schools, as part of the phases of easing of the COVID-19 restriction measures, adding that the state would therefore, continue to insist on full adherence to the enhanced COVID-19 protocols, especially within the schools.

    “That is why, as has already been widely publicised, we undertook a massive mobilisation and deployment of logistics to our educational facilities to help ensure that learning is conducted in an atmosphere of safety, as we continue to limit and contain the spread of the virus in our country. ”

    He said since his last address to the nation about a month ago, there had been over 75,000 persons, comprising students, teachers and non-teaching staff, in the Junior High Schools returning to school to prepare for and sit the Basic Education Certificate Examination.

    Besides, on Monday July 20, the 370,000 final year Senior High School students, who had been in school for five weeks, started writing the West African Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination.

    Again, 127,143 students in the Universities and other tertiary institutions have all virtually completed their final examinations.

    The President said all the measures being put in place to contain the spread of the virus among the students pointed to the commitment of the Government to protect the lives of “all those involved in the phased re-openings of our schools, and I will not renege on my obligation towards either our children or their parents.

    “Mercifully, we have witnessed only a few cases of infections in our Universities and other tertiary institutions; the few students who tested positive in a few of our Senior High Schools have all either recovered or are on the path to full recovery, and will write the WASSCE; and the few final year Junior High School students, who have tested positive and who are largely asymptomatic, are being managed in isolation centres, “he said.

    President Akufo-Addo reminded Ghanaians that while the pandemic lingered on, life could not be put on hold indefinitely, and Ghana could also not remain in a never-ending crisis management situation “and that is why we have been putting measures in place to restore gradually some normalcy in our social and economic lives, as we learn to cope with the reality of the virus”.

    He said the gradual reopening of the schools to enable final year students at various levels of education finish the school year and take their exams was probably the most significant measure taken by the government on the easing of the COVID-19 related restrictions.

    Source: GNA

  • President announces further easing of coronavirus related restrictions

    President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo Sunday further eased Coronavirus restrictions, seeking to return the country gradually to a state of new normalcy after nearly five months of measures to combat the disease.

    In a televised national broadcast, the President announced the lifting of restrictions on church and mosques gatherings, open air drinking spots, tourists’ sites and attractions, air and road transport and some sporting activities.

    Churches and mosque, which had for the past seven weeks been holding services and prayers with not more than a 100 members over a duration of one hour per service, are now allowed to increase the number of congregants and extend worship time to two hours, starting August 1, 2020.

    But religious leaders were to ensure that coronavirus safety protocols were observed to the letter as worship centres were to be well ventilated; congregants must wear face mask and stay one meter apart

    Tourist sites and attractions, open air drinking spots were reopened to business, but beaches, pubs, cinemas, nightclubs however remain closed until further notice.

    Also, the President gave clearance for the country’s female under-20 and under-17 teams to begin training towards the FIFA and CAF sanctioned international matches, and their handlers were to follow the set protocols for safety religiously.

    However, all another team contact sports, and competitive sporting events remain suspended.

    President Akufo-Addo also declared that domestic airplanes, taxis and mini-buses can now operate at full passenger capacity. Airlines and road transport owners are to ensure that passengers wore face mask and maintained set safety protocols at all material times.

    The country’s frontiers however remained closed to human traffic until further notice.

    But Ghanaians stranded abroad should leverage the special dispensation granted them by government to return home.

    The President pointed out that with the coronavirus pandemic affecting the global economy and upsetting all facets of social and economic life, and the prediction that the virus would not be letting anytime soon, Ghanaians should, like the rest of world, learn to live with the reality of the situation until a cure is found for the disease.

    He was emphatic that the disease should not bring national life to a standstill and that “We have to learn to adapt to the conditions.”

    “Ghana cannot remain in a never-ending crisis management situation, and that is why we have been putting measures in place to restore gradually some normalcy in our social and economic lives, as we learn to cope with the reality of the virus.”

    President Akufo-Addo noted that though some 32, 969 persons had so far contracted COVID-19 in the country, a closer look at the data showed that Ghana was “steadily on the path towards limiting and containing the virus, and, ultimately, defeating it.”

    He said what should concern Ghanaians was the number of active cases, which currently stood at 3,349, showing that the country had faired extremely well in the management of the pandemic.

    The consistent drop in the number of active coronavirus development, coupled with the low hospitalisation and mortality rates, the measures adopted to cope with the situation and experts advice, the President indicated, had informed Government’s decision to embark on a controlled, progressive, safe easing of restrictions to get national Life and economy back to normal.

    He said government was strengthened in its determination to ensure that Ghanaians returned to their daily lives in safety, but held that the phased opening up of the country placed an individual obligation and responsibility on each and every citizen to continue to remain vigilant, respect the enhanced hygiene and social distancing protocols. “We dare not ruin the successes we have chalked over this period,” he added.

    The President cautioned persons who peddled untruths about the disease to put a stop to such ‘irresponsible’ behaviour which escalates mistrust and heighten unnecessarily, the anxiety levels over the disease in the country.

    He called on Ghanaians to reject persons who perpetuate falsehood, stigmatise those who had recovered from COVID-19, and engage in anti-social social behaviour, and call them out when they do so.

    “The virus is no respecter of persons, and the overwhelming majority of persons who have tested positive, recover, indeed, have recovered, and are living perfectly normal lives, and pose no danger to anyone,” he said.

    President Akufo-Addo was confident that the new phase in the country’s fight against the disease would create a ‘new normal” where Ghanaians would live responsibly, and constantly figure out how to go about their work, businesses, educational and social activities safely and help contain the speed of COVID-19.

    “I have never wavered in my deeply-held conviction that, if each one of us embraces the safety protocols, and we continue to put our faith in the Almighty, we will emerge strongly from this crisis,” he said.

    Source: GNA

  • Coronavirus: Borders remain closed to human traffic – President Akufo-Addo

    President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has stated that all borders including land or air remains  closed to human traffic until further notice.

    However, he said that a special dispensation to evacuate Ghanaians who are stranded will be made to enable them come back home.

    He said this while giving the 14th update on COVID-19 to Ghanaians .

    Source: Atinka Online

  • Coronavirus: Number of active cases now 3,307

    President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has confirmed that the number of active coronavirus cases has increased to 3,307.

    Addressing the nation on Sunday, July 26, 2020, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo announced that the number of coronavirus cases now stands at 32,969.

    With the current active cases in the country rising to 3,307, the president confirmed that 29,494 people who contracted the virus have been discharged.

    The president also indicated that the nation has chalked an improvement in the percentage of recoveries which was previously 75% but now 89.5%.

    “Fellow Ghanaians, we are in the fifth month of the outbreak of COVID-19 on our shores. At first glance, it is alarming to see that thirty-two thousand, nine hundred and sixty-nine (32,969) people have so far contracted the virus. But a closer look at the data will tell you that we are steadily on the path towards limiting and containing the virus, and, ultimately, defeating it. The figure to look out for is the number of active cases.” Nana Addo stated.

    He added, “When I delivered Update No. 13, the number of active cases in the country, i.e. those who, as at 27 June 2020, had the virus, stood at four thousand, two hundred and forty-five (4,245). As at midnight of 24th July, nearly a month later, the number of active cases in Ghana stands at three thousand, three hundred and seven (3,307). Again, a month ago, the number of recoveries stood at twelve thousand, nine hundred and ninety-four (12,994). Today, it is twenty-eight thousand, nine hundred and twenty-seven (29,494). This means our recovery rate has improved from seventy-five per cent (75%) of positives, a month ago, to eighty-nine point five per cent (89.5%), all in one month currently.”

  • Coronavirus: Nsein SHS positive cases soar from 6 to 26

    The Western Regional Health Service has announced that the Coronavirus positive cases of Nsein Senior High School in the Nzema East Municipality have moved from 6 to 26.

    According to the Western Regional Health Service, Nsein SHS has recorded the highest positive cases in the Western Region.

    The Western Regional Health Service Director, Dr. Jacob Mahama told a news conference in Sekondi that the Service has collected a total of 82 samples and 56 have been tested negative with no pending case.

    Dr. Mahama disclosed that in all, 75 Senior High School and Nursing Training College students from 13 educational institutions in the Region have been tested positive for the deadly Coronavirus pandemic.

    He therefore, added that over 50 infected students have been recovered fully and taking part in the on-going WASSCE.

    He said the Asankragua Nursing and Midwifery School in the Amenfi West District of the region has recorded 6 positive cases of the virus.

    Speaking on the theme, “Continuing Quality Health Service Delivery Amid COVID-19 Pandemic Challenges”, Dr. Jacob Mahama assured the people of their relentless efforts to continue to monitor to manage the cases of the viral infection in the schools which had recorded the virus and stop the widespread of the infection on campus.

    General cases in Western Region

    Dr. Jacob Mahama seized the opportunity to indicate that as of July 23, 2020, a total of 2,467 positive cases of the Coronavirus pandemic have been recorded.

    He said so far, 2,216 patients have been recovered and discharged with 6 deaths.

    He stressed that the Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipality leads the chart with 639 cases, followed by Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis recording 632 cases and Amenfi West recording 442.

    Achievements

    Dr. Mahama, touted the refurbishment of Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital, the construction of the trauma centre at Agona Nkwanta, remodeling OD Mpohor Health Centre were the new projects to be carried out in the region.

    The other projects were; the construction of hospital in Nsuaem in the Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipality, Shama District Hospital, Elubo Polyclinic, Bogoso District Hospital as some projects executing to provide quality healthcare delivery to the people.

    Challenges

    Dr. Mahama, therefore, cited inadequate transport systems, renovation of DHMT blocks, inadequate Anaesthetics among others as some major challenges facing the health directorate in the region.

    Dr. Jacob Mahama, however, pledged to address the media weekly to update the Region about COVID-19 related issues.

    Source: Daniel Kaku, Ghanaweb Contributor

  • Ghana government to establish multiple plans to facilitate recovery amid coronavirus

    Ghana will establish a retraining program and a national unemployment insurance scheme to help those who lost their jobs due to COVID-19, said Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta here on Thursday.

    The program is to help workers, who have been laid off due to the pandemic, find new jobs by improving their skills or acquiring new skills and provide them with temporary income, said the minister.

    “Workers that find themselves in such an unfortunate situation deserve our help. The scheme will provide temporary income support to workers that are laid off and also facilitate their retraining,” he said.

    “The retraining program and the national unemployment insurance scheme will also become important pillars of resilience in our labour market going forward,” he added.

    According to him, the government will also establish a guarantee scheme of 2 billion Ghana cedis (345 million U.S. dollars) to enable businesses to borrow from banks at more affordable rates and a longer tenure to help them undertake necessary adjustments in order to retain jobs.

    Source: xinhuanet.com

  • Ghanaians doubt, shocked by GH¢54.3m price tag for coronavirus free food

    Some social media users in Ghana have expressed doubts after revelations that a government initiative to distribute hot meals to the underprivileged during a three-week COVID-19 lockdown cost the state over GH¢54 million.

    Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta said on Thursday, July 23, 2020, while he was presenting the 2020 Mid-year Budget Review to Parliament that the cost of providing cooked food for vulnerable people in lockdown areas in Accra and Kumasi was GH¢54.3 million.

    “Mr Speaker, the support to households, in terms of supply of dry food packs and hot cooked meals cost Government GH¢54.3 million to enable them to mitigate the impact of the pandemic. This was in addition to an amount of GH¢50.2 million transferred to the 400,000 most-vulnerable individuals under the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) Programme,” Mr Ofori-Atta said in Parliament.

    The Minister further disclosed that 470,000 families were reached with the food distribution exercise and it was carried out in collaboration with faith-based organisations.

    Shortly after that, Facebook users came online to mock the cost figure of GH¢54.3 million because they claim it is outrageous and most likely inflated.

    Some comments accuse the Nana Akufo-Addo administration of blatant corruption.

    Read some of the comments gathered on Facebook below.

     

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • Over 900 more stranded Ghanaians expected back home

    Government is making arrangements for more Ghanaians stranded abroad as a result of the coronavirus pandemic to return home.

    So far, a total of 2,250 have been aided back home safely.

    The evacuees would go through the mandated 14-day quarantine before being allowed to go to their individual homes.

    Presenting the mid-year budget review on Thursday, July 23, Minister of Finance Ken Ofori-Atta indicated that government rolled out the Operation Return Home Programme in response to calls by about 3,212 Ghanaians stranded abroad in the thick of the global fight against coronavirus.

    “As at end-June 2020, a total of 2,250 individuals had been evacuated with Government bearing the full cost of flight and mandatory 14-day hotel quarantine services for 1,116 persons, most of whom are students,” he stated.

    “Additionally, support was given to 1,134 persons to cover part of the cost of the mandatory quarantine.

    “The remaining 962 are expected to be evacuated by end of July 2020.”

    Mr Ofori-Atta noted that Ghanaians back home were also not left out in terms of the aid given by government.

    He mentioned that a total amount of GH¢54.3 million was expended on dry food packs and hot cooked meals to support households during the three-week lockdown in Accra, Kumasi, Kasoa and Tema.

    “This was in addition to an amount of GH¢50.2 million transferred to the 400,000 most-vulnerable individuals under the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) Programme.”

     

    Source: 3 News

  • Cooked meals disbursed during COVID-19 cost GH¢54.3 million – Ofori-Atta

    The Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta has revealed that spent government ¢54.3 million on cooked meals distributed during the 21-day lockdown in Accra and Kumasi.

    According to him, ¢50.2 million was also transferred to over 400,000 most-vulnerable individuals under the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) Programme.

    Giving a breakdown in his Mid-year Budget review to Parliament Thursday, he said the Gender Ministry provided 1,827,581 packed hot meals while the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) gave out 917,142 packs to the old and less privileged persons in the affected areas.

    “In collaboration with Faith-Based Organizations, Government also distributed dry food packages to about 470,000 families.

    “Let me extend my deepest gratitude to the Faith-based organisations for this unique partnership with government and may the Lord count this as righteousness for the FBOs and government,” he said.

    In April this year, government embarked on an exercise to provide food for underprivileged persons in parts of the country that are under lockdown.

    The package was targeted at some 400,000 individuals and homes in the affected areas of the restrictions imposed by President Nana Akufo-Addo in his bid to stop the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.

    However, a few days into the exercise, the government was accused of distributing the food and other relief items on a partisan basis  choosing members of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) over non-members. Government has since denied that claim.

    Giving a review of government expenditure in that regard, the Finance Minister said, “Mr Speaker, the support to households, in terms of supply of dry food packs and hot cooked meals cost Government GH¢54.3 million to enable them to mitigate the impact of the pandemic.

    “This was in addition to an amount of ¢50.2 million transferred to the 400,000 most-vulnerable individuals under the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) Programme”.

     

    Source: myjoyonline 

  • 75 students test positive for coronavirus in Western Region

    Since the government reopened schools, seventy-five students in the Western Region have tested positive for COVID-19, the Ghana Health Service has revealed.
    According to the Regional Director for Health Services, Naa Dr. Jacob Mahama, the test was conducted in thirteen (13) educational institutions and the result shows that 75 students contracted the virus.

    Addressing the media in the region on the theme “Continuing Quality Health Service Delivery Amid COVID-19 Pandemic Challenges”, he gave the breakdown that in the Nzema East Municipality, 26 students at Nsien Senior High School tested positive, at the Shama Senior High School in the Shama district, out of 46 samples collected, 19 of the samples turned out positive while in the Amenfi West district, Asankragua Nursing and Midwifery school had 6 positive cases of COVID-19.

    The Health Director said a total of 2,467 cases of COVID-19 have been recorded in the Western Region, out of which 2,216 have been discharged and 6 patients have passed away as of today, July 23, 2020.

    The Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipality tops the chart with 639 cases, followed by Sekondi-Takoradi with 632 cases. The Amenfi West Municipality at the border of the region to the Western North has record 442 cases.

     

    Source: Pulse Ghana