The nine persons who are reported to have been infected with the novel coronavirus in the Volta Region last Sunday, April 12, 2020 include six foreigners who entered the country illegally after the closure of the country’s borders.
The six said to have travelled into the country about two weeks ago entered the region through unapproved routes along Ghana’s south Eastern boundary with the Republic of Togo, but were arrested in Ketu South and put under mandatory quarantine for 14 days, a release from the Volta Regional Coordinating Council (VRCC) had said.
The statement signed by the Regional Minister, Dr. Archibald Yao Letsa, added that they did not show any symptoms of the disease until the confirmation test was announced last Sunday.
Intelligence gathered by DGN Online indicates that the six were part of 28 travelers; believed to have travelled from Nigeria.
All the 28 had been in mandatory quarantine until the test results.
Prior to this number another 20 travelers who had also entered the country through similar unapproved routes were arrested and also put into mandatory quarantine.
Fortunately, they tested negative. Their mandatory quarantine of 14 days ended last Monday; April 6, 2020.
A statement from the Ketu South Municipal Assembly which corroborated the arrests indicated that efforts are being made through the Ministry of National Security for their repatriation to their home country.
It also advised those who had come into contact with such foreigners to quickly self-isolate while contact tracing continues to ensure all exposed persons are reached.
In the last month, the number of foreigners who have been arrested for entering the country illegally through the Ghana-Togo border alone by DGN Online estimation is more than 150.
Whereas some were returned immediately, others had been quarantined and tested.
Other Three Cases
The Regional Minister, Dr. Letsa who is also chairman of the Regional Pubic Health Emergency Management Committee provided details on the remaining three persons who tested positive saying they were identified through routine surveillance.
All three are Ghanaians; thus a 48-year-old man, a 22-year-old pregnant woman and a 32-year-old man.
The pregnant woman had travelled to Hohoe from Ashaiman in the Greater Accra region two weeks prior to her symptoms to deliver with her mother.
She is said to be clinically stable with her baby and on isolation.
The other Hohoe case is a 32-year old man who also travelled to the area from Tema about 2 weeks ago.
He was on isolation since he was suspected of the virus and he is currently clinically stable.
The single case in Ho, the Regional capital involves a 48-year-old, who traveled from Accra and 12 days after, developed the symptoms.
He had since been on isolation.
Contact tracing have begun in earnest to stop the spread.
From Fred Duodu, Ho (k.duodu@yahoo.com)