Two cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in Ghana, the Health Minister Kwaku Agyemang-Manu has announced.
He made this known at an emergency press briefing by the Information Ministry on Thursday night, March 12, 2020.
The two cases according to the Health Minister, tested positive after laboratory tests from the Noguchi Memorial Institute of Medical Research.
The cases according to the Health Minister were reported as ‘imported cases’ as both individuals returned to Ghana from Norway and Turkey.
“Both individuals returned to Ghana from Norway and Turkey. So these are imported cases of COVID-19.”
Although the Minister did not disclose the nationalities of the two patients, Citi News sources say one is a Norwegian national, who’s a senior official at the Norwegian Embassy in Ghana, and the other a Ghanaian citizen.
“I wish to assure all Ghanaians that the Government of Ghana together with all health partners will continue to work assiduously to ensure the situation is contained. Both patients are currently being kept in isolation and are stable. We have initiated processes for contact tracing,” the Minister said.
The two are the first cases of the COVID-19 to test positive in Ghana after some 57 cases earlier proved negative.
The Health Ministry further cautioned Ghanaians to stick with the basic precautionary measures to ensure they do not get into contact with the virus.
A separate statement from the Ministry urged “every Ghanaian to take care of their health and that of their families by adhering to precautionary measures.”
Below is the statement from the Ministry of Health
