The 10 Guineans who were confirmed COVID-19 positive in Ghana will be sent back to their home country for treatment.
The Minister for Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah made the announcement at a press conference on Sunday, March 29, 2020.
“The information I have is that the Ghanaian and other West African authorities are completing arrangements so that they can be repatriated to their county of origin so that treatment to take place there. So they will not be treated in this jurisdiction,” he said.
According to the Minister, the Guinean nationals arrived in Ghana before President Nana Akufo-Addo’s directive for the closure of Ghana’s land, sea and air borders.
He said they arrived in the country 11 days ago and their presence in the country came to the attention of the government’s joint committee on health and security who immediately got them isolated.
They were subsequently tested for COVID-19 although they showed no signs, and their results came in positive around 10 am on Sunday, March 29, 2020.
“These persons as part of the enhanced surveillance were brought to the attention of the regional security and health team and 11 days ago, were put into self-isolation. They were asked to self-isolate 11 days ago and then were tested. The test result came in this morning around 10 am.”
The 10 persons are currently asymptomatic; yet to show signs of COVID-19, but the government says it is collaborating with the relevant authorities in the West African sub-region to send them back to their home country for treatment.
Regions with COVID-19 cases in Ghana
So far, cases have been confirmed in the Greater Accra Region, Ashanti Region, Northern Region and the Upper West Region.
Upper West region – 1 case
Ashanti Region – 8 cases
Northern Region – 10 cases
Greater Accra region – 133 cases (including 79 people mandatory quarantine)
Accra, Kumasi go on a lockdown
Meanwhile, President Nana Akufo-Addo has announced a partial lockdown of the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area and the Greater Kumasi Metropolitan Area as part of efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19.
He said within the period, aggressive testing of all contacts will be done.
He said the decision “will give us the opportunity to try to halt the spread of the virus, and scale-up effectively contact tracing of persons who have come into contact with infected persons, test them for the virus, and, if necessary, quarantine and isolate them for treatment, should they prove to have the virus.”
He added that the earlier ban on public gatherings remains in force and persons who flout it will be punished.
