Dr. Anarfi Asamoa-Baah
Ghana has recorded four additional confirmed cases of coronavirus (COVID-19), bringing the total number to 11 as of yesterday.
All the cases, except one, were brought into Ghana from outside.
Official information has it that the first batch of two confirmed cases announced by President Akufo-Addo when he met Christian leaders to discuss how to fight the pandemic at the Jubilee House, Accra, involved a 56-year-old Ghanaian.
She arrived in Accra from the United Kingdom (UK) about a week ago, while the other is a 33-year-old Ghanaian who returned to Accra from a conference in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The second batch of confirmed cases involved a 59-year-old Ghanaian woman, resident in the UK, who recently returned to Ghana and currently living in Kumasi.
She is said to have reported to a private hospital with the history of fever (temp of 39.1 ?), general malaise, cough and runny nose.
The second case is a 61-year-old Lebanese male trader and resident in Kumasi who felt unwell and reported to a health facility with fever (temp 39.4 ?) and cough.
The Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research (KCCR) conducted tests on both persons and they proved positive for COVID-19.
Country of Imports
So far, the confirmed cases in Ghana are from Turkey, Norway, Germany, France, United States of America, UK and UAE.
All the patients are receiving treatment in isolation, according to the Ghana Health Service (GHS).
President Akufo-Addo in his earlier announcement said, “With nine confirmed cases of the infection, we might count ourselves as being amongst the countries least hit by the coronavirus.”
Nonetheless, the rapid spread of the disease across the world has led the government to institute “some measures” to counter rapid spread in the country.
Men & Women of God
President Akufo-Addo, in his opening remarks, said the meeting was for the men and women of God to pray for the Lord’s intervention in the face of the pandemic.
“I humbly called you for us to come together and pray to God to save us from this pandemic,” the President said.
“I’m confident that this morning’s prayer which will be offered in faith will help heal our nation and will help raise Ghana up. I believe profoundly that we Ghanaians, with our faith in God Almighty, will overcome this challenge. This too will pass,” he added.
No Ordinary Times
Admitting that “these are not ordinary times” President Akufo-Addo said “a country whose population is predominantly Christian must seek the face of the one true God for healing and restoration.”
“In doing so, we are also putting into practice the words of Holy Scripture in James 5:14 and 15, and I quote, ‘Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up’,” he stated in reverence to God.
President Akufo-Addo again expressed confident that prayers, which would be offered in faith, would heal the nation and would help raise Ghana.
Present among the Christian leaders at the breakfast meeting were Bishop Dag Heward Mills of the Lighthouse Chapel International, Archbishop Nicholas Duncan Williams of the Action Faith Chapel, Apostle General, Sam Korankye Ankrah of the Royalhouse Chapel International; Bishop Charles Agyinasare of the Perez Chapel, and Reverend Eastwood Anaba of the Fountain Gate Ministries.
Also present were Catholic Bishop of Accra, John Bonaventure Kwofie; Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, J.O.Y Mantey; Apostle Eric Nyamekye of the Church of Pentecost and a host of others.
The meeting had the fathers and mothers of Ghana’s Christian faith releasing words of hope, encouragement and faith through prayers for the President, government, health workers and those who have been infected.
They also prayed for the Almighty to reveal to the world an antidote to COVID-19.
399 Traced
The Ghana Health Service (GHS) website for the official communication noted that no death had been recorded for COVID-19 infections in the country.
It said so far 399 had been identified as persons who came into contact with infected persons.
“There is no death; yesterday we received notification from KCCR indicating two newly confirmed cases in Kumasi. On contact tracing, a total of 399 contacts have been identified and are being followed up. Nineteen of the contacts developed some forms of symptoms and samples have been taken for laboratory testing.
“We have received results for 15 of them which are all negative for COVID-19 and we are awaiting results for four of them. Currently, there is no death and all the nine confirmed COVID-19 cases are being managed in isolation and are responding well to treatment,” the GHS indicated.
No Entry
The Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) said it had returned and stopped incoming flights from other countries at the Kotoka International Airport as part of measures to prevent the importation of cases of the novel coronavirus.
According to the Deputy Comptroller of Immigration (DCGI) in charge of Command Post and Operations, Laud Kwesi Affrifah, two Italians travelling on Air France were refused entry into Ghana on Air France on Monday, while 24 Chinese and a German were also returned.
“The airport in Abidjan was closed because of an incident on the tarmac so flights were being diverted into Ghana,” he said and added that such flights were refused to land at the Kotoka International Airport.
He revealed that an Ethiopian Airline plane that was landing without permission was prevented and only allowed to refuel to “continue their journey.”
Aflao Border
Deputy Comptroller of Immigration revealed that a Nigerian was refused entry at the Aflao border on Tuesday as his travel history indicated he had “travelled from Korea four days earlier to Nigeria.”
Two Australians and a German were also barred from entering the country at the Aflao border post on Wednesday.
By Charles Takyi-Boadu & Jamila Akweley Okertchiri