• A total of one hundred and thirteen thousand, four hundred and ninety-seven (113,497) tests conducted.
• Stop the stigmatisation of recovered persons of COVID-19 as it will rather drive people away from getting screened, tested and treated.
According to the Ghana Health Service, total confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the country has moved up to 2,169.
229 patients have recovered from the virus and 1 more death making a total of 18 deaths.
Border Closure Extended
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo addressing workers in a virtual May Day celebration on Friday May 1st, 2020, held at the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) indicated that"government has taken the decision to extend further the closure of our borders for a month, effective 1am on Monday, 4th May, until Sunday, 31st May".
"These restrictions cannot and will not be a permanent feature of our lives, but they are, for now, essential to our survival. As I said last Sunday, I shall be outlining, shortly, the steps for, systematically, easing the restrictive measures to bring us back to normality" he added.
In his address the President, provided an update on the nation's fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
He said, "as at yesterday, we have conducted a total of one hundred and thirteen thousand, four hundred and ninety-seven (113,497) tests, the most per million people of any country in Africa, with two thousand, and seventy-four (2,074) testing positive. Our recoveries have increased from one hundred and eighty-eight (188) to two hundred and twelve (212), and the number of deaths, sadly, stands at seventeen (17). Our positivity rate has gone up marginally from 1.5% to 1.8%, six (6) persons are critically ill, and one thousand, eight hundred and thirty-nine (1,839) persons are well and responding to treatment in health facilities or are being managed from home. This, in effect, means that there is, presently, no big pressure on our healthcare facilities to manage these cases. We pray to God it stays that way".
He further emphasized that, "steps at increasing further testing capacity have been taken, with the coming on stream of the Veterinary Laboratory in Accra, the Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research Laboratory also in Accra, the University of Health and Allied Sciences in Ho, and the Veterinary Laboratory in Pong-Tamale, to aid the labours of the Noguchi Research Institute, the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research, and the National Public Health Reference Laboratory at the Korle-bu Teaching Hospital. A number of isolation, quarantine and treatment facilities have also been identified across the country for use. The nation is profoundly grateful to the Church of Pentecost for the generous, Christian gesture of making available its multipurpose Convention Centre, at Gomoa Fetteh, as an isolation centre which can house over one thousand (1,000) persons and three hundred (300) medical staff".
Stop the stigmatisation of recovered persons
The President also urge the public to stop the stigmatisation of recovered persons of COVID-19 as it will rather drive people away from getting screened, tested and treated.
The stigmatisation of recovered persons must not go on, because if the virus did not end their lives and livelihoods, the stigma from members of their communities should not. The overwhelming majority of them will continue to live perfectly normal lives, and cease to be sources of infections.
A total of twelve (12) regions out of sixteen (16) regions has reported cases of the deadly coronavirus.
Regions that have reported cases of the coronavirus in the country are Greater Accra, Ashanti, Eastern, Northern, Oti, Volta, Central, Upper West, Upper East, North East, Western Region and Western North.
Credit to Source: Wentitrel News
Comments