The Ghana Health Service (GHS) says measures aimed at tackling the spread of the coronavirus in case of an outbreak have been intensified at the national and regional levels.
According to GHS, various regions have identified holding and treatment rooms and also intensified education on the disease to health officials and communities.
In an interaction with the media after a crunch meeting with Regional Health Directors in Accra, Director General of the Ghana Health Service Dr. Patrick Kuma Aboagye said GHS will continue resourcing the regions adequately against the virus.
“The regions have had regional coordinating meetings with the regional director. They have identified treatment centres and they have done orientation for all of their staff. They’ve also intensified community education and mass radio awareness creation for which we expect them to adhere to. Currently, we’ve also given them additional resource packs to help intensify their work with updated treatment protocols.”
Foreign travels for government officials suspended
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has temporarily suspended foreign travels for all government officials, as part of measures to prevent the outbreak of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Ghana.
A circular issued by the Chief of Staff at the Office of the President, Akosua Frema Osei-Opare, and addressed to all sector Ministers, their deputies, and other government officials stressed that only essential and critical foreign travels will be considered and, thereafter, approved.
“As part of measures to prevent the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in Ghana, His Excellency the President of the Republic has directed that all foreign travels by public officials/officers should be temporarily suspended. Only critical travels will be considered. The directive, together with other measures being put in place by Government, is intended to protect the general public from contracting the virus. Please take note and ensure compliance,” the statement said.
Growing cases of the disease in Africa
Ghana’s northern neighbour, Burkina Faso on March 10, 2020, confirmed its first case of the virus.
According to Burkina Faso’s Health Minister, Prof. Claudine Lougué, a couple who recently returned from France has been detected with the disease.
The Minister said another person who was in close contact with the couple is being closely monitored and under confinement at home.
The case in Burkina Faso increases to 10, the number of countries on the continent that have recorded coronavirus cases.
The other affected countries are Egypt, Algeria, South Africa, Senegal, Morocco, Cameroon, Nigeria, Tunisia and Togo.
African statistics
In Africa, a total of 97 cases have been recorded as at midnight on Monday, March 9, 2020.
The majority of the cases are in Egypt where 55 persons have been found to be with the virus and one person dying as a result.
In Algeria, 17 persons have caught the virus while in South Africa, seven have been recorded.
Senegal has four cases.
Official figures indicate that there are two persons each in Morocco, Cameroon, Nigeria and Tunisia who have the virus.
In neighbouring Togo, one case has been reported.
