Ghana has recorded nine new novel coronavirus cases.
All the nine cases were reported in Accra, according to the Ghana Health Service.
“Three of them travelled to Ghana within the past 14 days from Germany, France and Hungary respectively but for six of them, there is no history of travel outside,” the service indicated.
According to the latest update, the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research also reported on tests from 77 samples including samples from 41 asymptomatic contacts of a case from Tamale Teaching Hospital “and all are negative for COVID-19”.
Following these new cases, “processes for enhanced contact tracing and laboratory testing have been initiated”.
A total of 1,185 contacts have been identified and are being followed up on,” the service added.
One extra person has fully recovered and “reverted to negative status for COVID-19 after a repeat test following recovery from symptoms”.
Thirty-one confirmed cases have “significantly improved with no symptoms” and have been discharged pending repetition of laboratory tests.
This adds to the 18 persons that were earlier being managed from home and bring the number of cases on home care to 49.
Ghana has also recorded five deaths from the virus.
All five persons who died “had underlying chronic medical conditions prior to COVID-19 infection”.
Globally, 719,758 persons are known to have contracted the virus with 33,673 deaths.
Partial lockdown
To contain the spread of the virus, a partial lockdown has been instituted in Accra, Tema, Kasoa and Kumasi.
There have however been 10 cases recorded in Tamale and a single case in Wa.
Among these essentials listed by President Nana Akufo-Addo were food, medicine and water.
Police and Military personnel have been dispatched to the affected areas to enforce the lockdown.
As part of the lockdown, citizens in affected areas are advised to only leave their homes in search of essential items or activities.
Ghana joins South Africa, Kenya, Rwanda, Mali, Nigeria, Botswana, among others, in Africa to have announced some restrictions of movement to curb the spread of the virus.
