The Ghana Health Service has confirmed an additional positive case of COVID-19 in Ghana.
The newly confirmed case adds on to the previous 52 which was announced at the press briefing by the Minister of Health earlier today, Tuesday.
“As of 24 March 2020, a total of fifty-three (53) cases including two (2) deaths have been confirmed. All the fifty-one (51) confirmed cases are receiving treatment in isolation,” the statement from the Ghana Health Service said.
The statement from the Service said, “the sudden spike in case incidence is as a result of the mandatory quarantine and compulsory testing for all travellers entering Ghana, as directed by the President.”
According to the Health Service, a total of 1030 persons are under mandatory quarantine.
A total of 844 of the quarantined individuals also had their samples taken for the necessary tests out which 510 had their samples tested for COVID-19.
26 of such persons tested positive for COVID-19.
“As of 24 March, a total of 1,030 are under mandatory quarantine; 844 have had their samples taken; 510 have had the samples tested, and out these twenty-six (26) tested positive for COVID-19.”
The statement also revealed that 19 people have completed the 14 days of mandatory follow up.
Calls for lockdown
Former Health Minister, Joseph Yieleh Chireh wants the government to immediately lockdown Accra, and Kumasi, and put the necessary systems in place before the coronavirus situation in the country gets out of hand.
Speaking to Citi News, the Wa West MP said such a measure is necessary to prevent further spread of the disease.
“My candid view about lockdown is that it is getting too late and when you allow the situation to alarm everybody, the lockdown will be difficult to do. Indeed if you look at it, we have to explain in detail what the directives the President has given mean and what the implications are but the lockdown can only be in respect of the big cities,” he said.
An international law and governance expert, Kwame Mfodwo has also joined calls for what he describes as an inevitable but strategic and gradual approach to a lockdown.
“For me, whether to have a lockdown or not is not the issue. A lockdown is inevitable at a point. The real issue is how to implement and manage a lockdown within the Ghana context,” he said.
The Bureau of Public Safety has also called for the “immediate discriminated lockdown” of Greater Accra and Ashanti Regions for at least 21 days.
The Bureau also called for the lockdown of all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and all Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs).
