The Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyemang-Manu, has hinted that government is making arrangements to provide isolation centres for people suspected to have Coronavirus but may not be able to afford facilities to self-quarantine themselves for a mandatory 14-day period.
Following the outbreak of the novel Coronavirus in Ghana, persons who return from foreign travels are mandated to isolate themselves from their families and other people for 14-days, and if they do not show signs of the virus, they may be allowed to engage with the rest of the populace.
However, some people have complained about their inability to do so because they lack the requisite facilities.
Speaking at a ceremony where officials of GCB bank donated GHS100,000 to help the Ministry of Health to help combat the pandemic, Kwaku Agyemang-Manu said the state was making provision for Ghanaians who cannot afford to self-quarantine.
“Let me advise that if you do not have some very essential things to do in town, stay at home. We are still getting some of our people coming from outside, they are our family people, they are Ghanaians, we can’t stop them from coming but when they come, please, we need to put them into quarantined places. Even if it is your room let that person stay in one room, fed him for the 14 day period. Government is working so hard to bring in some other test kits to begin to see how we can manage with these things. Let us get them checked up before they integrate with us. Some people who can afford are renting empty places for their relatives who are coming back so that they can be quarantined This is what we call self-mandatory quarantine but the state is making provision to quarantine those of us who cannot afford to put ourselves into quarantine places,” the Minister added.
Mr. Agyemang-Manu also appealed to corporate entities to make commitments towards helping to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus.
Speaking to Citi News, the Minister further reiterated the need for all and sundry to comply with the advised preventive measures.
“Over the next few days and weeks, we are anticipating that we are going to have larger numbers of people who are already having the disease. The only thing that I can say now is the fact that we should all be listening to the guidelines and the advice that is coming from our professionals…and all our radio and television stations and people who are discussing COVID-19. We should listen to them and comply with the advice that they are giving to us. And out of all our challenges and our cries for the support, it looks like GCB have demonstrated that they have heard what is going on and would not sit idle when government and society are plunged into this challenge. My appeal to other corporate entities is that we are ready to receive such support and whoever wants to donate anything can direct it through the Ministry,” the Minister said.
Coronavirus cases in Ghana rise to 16
The novel Coronavirus cases in Ghana have increased to 19.
The latest cases were confirmed on March 20 and are believed to be imported, according to the Ghana Health Service.
Two of the new cases were reported from the Greater Accra Region and the other in the Ashanti Region.
The latest infected persons are a 55-year-old Ghanaian woman resident of the United Kingdom who travelled to Ghana within the last two weeks; an 84-year-old Ghanaian lady also a resident of the United Kingdom who also came to Ghana within the past two weeks and a 27-year-old Chinese man who came to Ghana.
There have been 13 new cases of the novel coronavirus infection this past week.
At least three of these cases have been suspected to be community spread.
