The Controller and Accountant General’s Department (CAGD), has debunked some reports on social media suggesting that one of its staff has been quarantined upon arrival from Italy with a case of the deadly COVID-19.
The widely circulated reports claimed that the said employee had been quarantined as part of precautionary measures instituted by the government to prevent the disease from spreading.
But the CAGD in a statement signed by the Acting Controller and Accountant General, Mr. Kwasi Kwaning-Bosompem, stated categorically that “no such incident has occurred at the Head Office and all CAGD Regional Offices.”
It has thus urged the public to disregard the news as it is false.
“It has come to the notice of management of the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department (CAGD), a news item circulating on social media about a staff member who has been quarantined upon arrival from Italy. Management wishes to state that no such incident has occurred at the Head Office and all CAGD Regional Offices and that the general public should disregard this information,” the statement said.
The CAGD further indicated that it had made preparations for the payment of March salaries and assured that government workers will receive their salaries on the scheduled pay date.
Fake news
As cases of the coronavirus increase around the world, there’s been a flurry of misleading or false news stories emerging particularly on social media.
Recently, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) cautioned against the spread of false information about the disease, stressing that such practices could undermine efforts to contain the pandemic.
“To the creators of such falsehoods, we offer a simple message: STOP Sharing inaccurate information and attempting to imbue it with authority by misappropriating the names of those in a position of trust. It is dangerous and wrong,” it cautioned in a statement.
Similarly, the President of the Ghana Journalists Association, Mr. Affail Monney, has urged journalists to desist from spreading false information about the disease and endeavour to fact-check every detail before publication.
Cases in Ghana
So far, seven cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Ghana, all of which have been described as ‘imported cases’.
The government has since moved to forestall further spread of the virus by implementing stringent travel and social distancing measures.
President Akufo-Addo on Sunday announced a number of measures, including a month-long suspension of schools and social gatherings including religious activities and other social gatherings as part of efforts to contain the outbreak.
The disease has killed more than 7,000 people worldwide out of over 180,000 cases, and continues to spread into many more countries.