Ghana COVID-19: 16,431 cases, prez warns party on virus protocol breach

Ghana is West Africa’s most impacted nation behind Nigeria, at a point in May 2020, Ghana led the regional case load. June has started with progressive lifting of more virus restrictions.

President Akufo-Addo in his tenth address announced that whiles borders remained closed, some categories of academic institutions are allowed to resume, religious places can also reopen with strict conditions and the observance of health protocols.

Social gatherings -weddings, funerals etc. – are to be allowed under certain conditions – among others with maximum 100 participants. As the 2020 polls loom, even political activity is allowed to be undertaken.

This article will be focused on tracking case increases and major developments from the West African country. It will build on our April – May 2020 updates page.

June 28: 16,431 cases, prez urges party to respect virus protocols

The death toll has crossed the 100 mark as of last Friday. Cases have also crossed the 16,000 mark and stands at 16,431.

President Akufo-Addo during a speech at his acclamation to contest the upcoming polls took the opportunity to sound a virus protocol word of caution.

He said losing one’s sense of protection to an euphoria so far as to break COVID-19 preventive protocols should not happen under any circumstance.

He was reacting to widespread reports that during the ruling party’s parliamentary primaries, there were several instancing of candidates and supporters flouting rules such as wearing of masks and physical distancing.

Total confirmed cases = 16,431
Total recoveries = 12,257
Total deaths = 103
Active cases = 4,071

Figures valid as of close of day June 27, 2020

June 25: 15,473 cases; mask arrests, apex court ruling

Case load as of today hit a total of 15,473 cases with 11,431 recoveries and 950 deaths, according to stats released Friday evening by the Ghana Health Service. The new cases were 460 which tally brings the active cases to 3,947.

Arrests over lack of wearing of masks also dominated” local news headlines”:https://t.co/mFVtCxfZtI?amp=1 as people bemoaned the police for highhandedness in the implementation of an Executive Instrument that made mask wearing in public an obligation.

The Greater Accra regional police disclosed that it undertook an operation in which some people were arrest in the central business district of the capital for being without masks. The arrests came a day after the government said it was engaging the police on some areas of mask wearing.

Wearing of mask in Cars: Government engaging Police on E.I 164 pic.twitter.com/EpLZuxgQi8

— Ministry of Information (@moigovgh) June 23, 2020

A major news development is the Supreme Court’s decision today to throw out a suit against the election body’s decision to compile a new voters register ahead of December 2020 general elections.

The Electoral Commission, weeks back completed a nationwide pilot for the exercise. Opponents of the exercise have cited rising virus numbers and the lack of adherence to social distancing and hygiene protocols.

The ruling party is in favour of the move whiles the main opposition were stiffly against it. Currently there are limits on public gatherings even though political and other religious meetings are allowed under strict conditions.

Confirmed cases = 15,473
Active cases = 3,947
Recoveries = 11,431
Number of deaths = 95
John Hopkins Uni stats valid as of June 12, 2020

June 22: 14,154 cases; how recoveries jumped

Ghana recorded a boom in recoveries over the weekend as over 6,000 patients were added to the tally which now stands at 10,473 according to authorities.

“Ghana has adopted the WHO’s new COVID-19 recovery protocol, thus leaving it with a total recovery record of 10, 473 patients,” the president clarified in an address.

There are currently 14,154 cases as of Sunday June 21 when president Akufo-Addo delivered his latest address on measures to mitigate the spread of the virus as the country continues with a phased reopening.

After the reopening of places of worship was announced in his lat address, Sunday’s address centered much on the reopening of Senior High Schools for final year students. Some of the major takeaways included that government was absorbing the final exam fees.

Government to provide enough food to students on campus through the National Food Buffer Stock Company and that all schools had been disinfected ahead of today’s reopening.

Finalists and Second Year Gold Track students of the Accra Academy Senior High School started arriving as early as 0630 hours today, June 22, to complete the semester course and exit examinations.#GHnewsagency pic.twitter.com/uf03HfzDct

— Ghana News Agency (@GHANANEWSAGENCY) June 22, 2020

Confirmed cases = 14,154
Active cases = 3,596
Recoveries = 10,473
Number of deaths = 85
John Hopkins Uni stats valid as of June 21, 2020

June 15: 13,203 cases; law enacted to penalize mask flouters

Case load hit a total of 13,203 cases with 4,548 recoveries and 70 deaths, according to stats released Friday evening by the Ghana Health Service. The new cases were 274 which tally brings the active cases to 8,585.

The non-wearing of face masks in public is now punishable by law per an Executive Instrument, E.I. 164, signed by President Akufo-Addo on June 15.

Flouters of the directive could face a jail term of between four and 10 years or pay a fine of between GHS12,000 and GHS60,000 or both.

The EI says the mandatory wearing of face masks will be enforced for a three-month period as parts of measures to curtail the spread of COVID-19.

Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah urged local authorities to do their best to ensure compliance of the wearing of face masks.

“The Executive Instrument that makes the wearing of face masks mandatory is out and while we salute the efforts of those who have already started higher levels of compliance, we want to encourage those who have not that the EI is out and they are expected as regional ministers, MMDCEs to step up enforcement within their own jurisdiction,” he said at a press briefing on Thursday.

Section 6 of Act 1012 states that “a person who fails to comply with the restrictions imposed under the Executive Instrument issued under subsection 1 of Section 2 commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine of not less than 1,000 penalty unit (Gh¢12,000) and not more than 5,000 penalty units (Gh¢ 60,000) or to a term of imprisonment not less than four years and not more than 10 years or to both.”

Section 4 (1) of the E.I. 164 states that the police have the authority to make random checks to “ensure enforcement compliance”

Total of 13,203 COVID-19 confirmed cases with 4,548 Recoveries and 70 Deaths

New Cases: 274

Active Cases:8,585#JoyNews pic.twitter.com/98H3nshqyI

— Joy 99.7 FM (@Joy997FM) June 19, 2020

June 17: 12,193 cases; health insurance boss infected

Head of Ghana’s Health Insurance Authority, NHIA, Dr Dsane-Selby announced on Monday that she had tested positive for COVID-19. She made the disclosure in an interview on a local network.

She said the decision to test was after she started experiencing tiredness, bodily pains and headaches. She asked for her ample to be taken for a test subsequent to which the positive result returned.

She went into self- isolation to prevent her from exposing others to the virus. Dr Dsane-Selby also contacted those she had come into contact with to go for voluntary testing, the Ghana News Agency added.

She becomes the fourth known government official to have tested positive for COVID-19. The first being Papa Owusu- Ankomah, Ghana’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, who has since recovered.

Health Minister Kwaku Agyeman-Manu’s infection was reported last week whiles Mr Anthony K. K Sam, the Mayor of Sekondi-Takoradi, also succumbed to the disease on Friday, June 12.

Total confirmed cases = 12,193
Total recoveries = 4,326
Total deaths = 58
Active cases = 7,809

Figures valid as of close of day June 16, 2020

June 15: 11,964 cases; schools reopen, masks obligatory etc.

President Akufo-Addo on Sunday delivered an address on measures being taken to combat the spread of the coronavirus as Ghana’s case load neared 12,000. The address touched on a myriad of issues from the reopening of schools and new orders around wearing of masks.

The president also used it to reiterate his calls for the populace to take charge of their safety. He also confirmed the death vias the virus of a mayor of the oil-rich Sekondi Takoradi and infection of Health Minister Kwaku Agyemang Manu.

The case of the minister’s infection has attracted social media debate after a journalist reported that the minister had denied he had tested positive rather that he was only resting at a major health facility in the capital, Accra.

Confirmed cases = 11,964
Number of deaths = 54
Recoveries = 4,258
Active cases = 7,652

John Hopkins Uni stats valid as of June 14, 2020

June 13: 11,118 cases, NDC advocates mass testing

Ghana’s case load as of this morning stood at 11,118 cases with the disclosure of 262 new cases. According to the Ghana Health Service (GHS), 58 more persons have recovered as the new figure in that regards increases to 3,979.

The death toll still stands at 48 whiles active cases pass the 7,000 mark reaching 7,091. The Greater Accra region accounts for 6,888 cases with the Ashanti and Western regions completing the top three slots with 1,989 and 909 cases respectively.

Multiple local media sources reported late Saturday that Health Minister Kwaku-Agyemang Manu has been infected with the virus and was currently hospitalized.

He becomes the highest profile member of government to be infected. Weeks back a top legislator alleged that infections had hit parliament but his claims were disputed by the lawmaking chamber.

Main opposition NDC’s COVID-19 technical team is advocating for mass testing as the easing of restrictions means tertiary institutions are set to open.

The team said current trends “do not suggest that students, teaching and non- teaching staff can avoid significant risk of exposure to the virus as the epidemic is not under control.” Government is on record to have insisted that mass testing was not an immediate option but that it will be considered on an as and when basis.

Citing May 2020 tallies which pointed to widespread community transmission, the NDC suggested that all students, teaching and non-teaching staff be tested “to preempt any potential spread on secondary schools and university campuses.”

Their call is in line with that of major stakeholders like the Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS) which proposed mass coronavirus testing of students, teaching and non-teaching staff of Senior High Schools (SHSs) before they are reopened.

June 10: Cases pass 10,000 mark as rapid test kit makers advance

Ghana reached 10,000 mark in terms of confirmed cases on Tuesday (June 9); the case load reached 10,201 with deaths still at 48, 3,755 recoveries and 6,398 active cases.

Ghana joins an exclusive club that includes South Africa (52,991 cases), Egypt (35,444 cases), Nigeria (13,464 cases) and Algeria with 10,382 cases.

The Food and Drugs Authority has confirmed that nine companies were so far seeking approval for rapid test kits for COVID-19 a process that could last between a month and two months.

One of the companies, Kumasi-based Incas Diagnostics, are diversifying from their pregnancy test kit production to focus on COVID-19 test kits which will be an antibody test kit. The company is also working with other developers across Africa on a mobile app to help trace potentially high-risk virus patients.

Incas Diagnostics founder and CEO Laud Anthony Basing told Reuters he expected its kits to cost about half as much as imported tests as they will be cutting out middlemen by producing them in Ghana.

“The app will basically work well with the rapid test kit because once classified as high risk you need to test the person,” he said, stressing the need for mass testing given that Ghana had entered community transmission stage of virus spread.

The Reuters report added that Incas’ kits, which were developed with funding from the French development agency and the Mastercard foundation, could retail for about $5 but will mostly be donated to help fight the pandemic.

June 9: 9,910 cases, bar operators appeal to govt

Ghana’s case load is heading towards the 10,000 mark; as of close of day June 8, the tally stood at 9,910. Deaths have also gone up to 48.

Over in the Ashanti Region, drinking bar and pub operators have appealed to the government to consider easing some of the restrictions to enable them to resume their operations, the Ghana News Agency reports.

According to them, the continued closure of their businesses as a result of the COVID-19 was advsersely affecting them. Emmanuel Antwi Baah, regional Chairman of Pubs and Spot Operators Association said there were ready to enforce necessary protocols and guidelines.

Restrictions on gatherings were significantly watered down in president Akufo-Addo’s tenth address which allowed social gatherings like places of worship, weddings and funerals to take place with limited attendees and the observance of strict hygiene protocols.

Mr Baah appealed to the government to extend the COVID-19 stimulus package to members of the Association to enable them to stay in business, the report added.

Total confirmed cases = 9,910
Total recoveries = 3,645
Total deaths = 48
Active cases = 6,217

June 8: 9,638 cases, govt evacuation plans

Government has confirmed that it was preparing to evacuate some Ghanaians stranded overseas due to the COVID-19 disruption.

Foreign Affairs Minister Shirley Ayorkor Botchway in a written response to Parliament late last week, she said the ministry and relevant departments and agencies had been liaising for weeks how to undertake the phased evacuation.

There are four categories of evacuees for the purpose: those with the ability to pay, government-funded evacuation, distressed or destitute and deportees.

So far evacuations have been don from Kuwait (May 23 of 230 persons), Lagos, Mauritania, Turkey and Washington – all thigs being equal must have happened by today.

Some of the biggest evacuations being worked on are over 670 people from China and 500 form the United Arab Emirates. Ghanaians in neighbouring countries will be bussed back under special conditions considering that all borders have been and remain closed.

The first day of church reopening was on Sunday after the lifting of strict sanctions of public gathering. Only a handful churches agreed to undertake what were brief services amid the observance of health protocols as by law required.

Those that did not reopen cited the need for more time to guarantee safety of congregants. Last Friday, the situation was the same for most mosques. The national chief Imam asked that facilities remain closed even though a number of mosques went ahead with service.

Total confirmed cases = 9,638
Total recoveries = 3,636
Total deaths = 44
Active cases = 5,958

Figures valid as of close of day June 7, 2020

June 7: 9,462 cases, deaths hit 44

The Managing Director of a major private health care facility in the capital Accra reported testing positive for the virus. Elikem Tamaklo of Nyaho Hospital confirmed that he contracted the disease in the community.

The hospital located in a residential area of Accra said the MD had not been physically at post for two weeks as part of social distancing guidelines to help contain spread of COVID-19. His family was also affected and all of them were undergoing treatment, a statement said.

“I am currently doing well … The stigma that some have had to endure is unfair, unfounded and has no basis,” he told workers in a recorded video message.

“We all need to continue to do our best and remain disciplined by observing all the recommended preventive measures, such as washing hands with soap under running water, frequent use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers, and maintaining social distancing measured when in public and in enclosed spaces,” he added.

The elections body has meanwhile said 15 out of 16 regions have undergone a successful pilot for upcoming voters registration – back by government and opposed by opposition parties. The body has been hauled to court over its plans amid virus spread.

Ghana’s death toll whiles relatively very low, have reached 44. It remained sub 40 even when cases had passed 6,000. President Akufo-Addo weeks back thanked God for sparing Ghana huge deaths compared to other countries.

Total confirmed cases = 9,462
Total recoveries = 3,547
Total deaths = 44
Active cases = 5,871

Figures valid as of close of day June 6, 2020

June 3: 8,297 cases; govt defends ban on football

Sports Minister, Isaac Asiamah has defended government’s decision to maintain a ban on football despite the recent lifting of a raft of restrictions. He was speaking at a press briefing on Wednesday.

According to the Minister, the cost of putting necessary measures in place, from the regular disinfection of stadia to testing players, was too high. Restrictions on non-contact sports were lifted in the president’s 10th address.

“How do we disinfect all the stadia, the hotels because the players sleep there? How do we test all these players?” Asiamah quizzed.

He also pointed out that it would be near impossible to keep fans from gathering during games. “In our environment, is it possible to play football without our supporters? The figure that came out from the NSA was about GHS 60,000 per match. That’s a major challenge.”

Football is Ghana’s most followed sport. The local league only returned after a corruption probe involving the former association president Kwesi Nyantakyi caused the league to be suspended. A normalization committee took charge of affairs till a new set of executives were voted into office.

Total confirmed cases = 8,297
Total recoveries = 2,986
Total deaths = 38
Active cases = 5,273

June 2: Minister issues guidelines for churches, mosques

The Minister of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Samuel Kofi Dzamesi, has expanded on a government plan for reopening of places of worship across the country.

He was speaking at a multi-sectoral press briefing on Monday, a day after the president delivered his tenth COVID-19 address to the nation. Some of the key planks of the directives include:

As part of the guidelines, every church or religious body is to registered with the Registrar General’s Department and with the respective Municipal, Metropolitan or District Assembly.
The religious bodies are expected to observe preventive protocols, including providing thermometer guns or thermal scanners to check the temperature of congregants at entry points of all venues
Enforce a ‘No mask: No entry’ Policy, provide adequate waste management facilities and toilet facilities for use by members.
Cleaning and disinfection of frequently used communal places like toilet surfaces and frequently touched surfaces such as doorknobs or handles, preferably every one – two hours depending on the rate of utilisation.
A holding room or area where a person who becomes sick at the premises can be isolated from others while making arrangements for evacuation.
Every worshiper must be registered with their details, including names, phone numbers, manually or digitally, adding that digital registration can be done on GH COVID-19 APP or the PANABIOS App, which can be downloaded at no cost.
Religious leaders would equally be held liable, adding that the District Assemblies and other agencies will monitor and ensure compliance with the directives.

Religious activities were thus to begin on Friday, June 5, with Muslims worshiping at the mosques, and Adventists and Christians following on Saturday Sunday, respectively.

Govt to close down religious institutions who flout anti-Covid-19 directives – GNA report

June 1: 8,070 cases, conditional lifting of most restrictions

Ghana’s case load passed the 8,000 mark on last day of May 2020 as president Akufo-Addo addressed the nation lifting conditionally a raft of restrictions.

Schools are to open in mid-June, religious places can reopen with strict conditions and the observance of health protocols. Social gatherings are to be allowed under certain conditions.

The address, the tenth by the president, also spelled out measures that government was putting in place to curb the spread of the virus. “Consensus from stakeholder consultation recommend a phased approach to easing anti Covid-19 restrictions,” he said.

With effect from Friday 5th June, Ghana will begin the implementation of gradual easing of restrictions
Final year university students to report to school on 15th June, 2020
Faith-based organisations to start communal worship, effective Friday, June 5, amid social distancing and hygiene protocols
All schools, both private and public remain closed. Only final year students access those facilities.
Each student, teacher and non teaching staff will be provided with reusable face mask by the Ministry of Education prior to reopening for final year students
Weddings with not more than 100 guests can be organized
Public political activities, except for rallies, to resume with less than 100 people, amid observation of social distancing and hygiene protocols
218, 425 Covid-19 tests conducted so far

Total confirmed cases = 8,070 (new cases = 189)
Total recoveries = 2,947
Total deaths = 36
Active cases = 5,087

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