President Akufo-Addo has announced the closure of the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) and all land and sea borders of the country for two weeks over the coronavirus pandemic.
The closure of Ghana’s borders comes after the COVID-19 cases jumped to 21 from 19.
In a national broadcast Saturday evening, the President also noted that all passengers who arrive in the country from Sunday evening will be quarantined by the government.
“All our borders, that is by land sea or air will be closed down for two weeks. Anybody who comes in from Sunday evening will be mandatorily quarantined,” he said.
Ghana recorded its 21st case of the virus Saturday.
The latest cases were confirmed on March 21 and are believed to be imported, according to the Ghana Health Service.
Two of the new cases were reported from the Greater Accra Region and the other in the Ashanti Region.
The latest infected persons are a 55-year-old Ghanaian woman resident of the United Kingdom who came to Ghana within the last two weeks; an 84-year-old Ghanaian lady also a resident of the United Kingdom who came to Ghana within the past two weeks and a 27-year-old Chinese man who came to Ghana.
On Friday, Ghana recorded five more cases of the deadly disease that has infected almost 300, 000 people globally.
The first was a 29-year-old Ghanaian lady resident of Accra with no history of travel. Sample taken from her confirmed positive in the laboratory.
The second is a 34-year-old Ghanaian lady resident of Accra who had contact of a confirmed case at her place of work.
Also, a 53-year-old Ghanaian male, resident of Tema with no history of travel, no evidence of close contact with a confirmed case. Samples confirmed positive in the laboratory.
A 41-year-old Ghanaian male who arrived in Ghana by KLM on the 15 March 2020; indicated exposure with family members in Amsterdam exhibiting respiratory symptoms and also on the flight with some passengers sneezing and coughing.
The fifth person is a 36-year-old Ghanaian male resident of Paris, France; date of arrival in Ghana unconfirmed with no evidence of contact with an infected person.
China, Italy, Iran, Spain and Germany have suffered the highest number of infections.
The current death toll suggests 4 per cent of patients who catch the virus die from it.
But experts say the death rate is probably lower than that because the true number of infections is much higher is far greater because some countries, including the UK, are only testing people hospitalised by the illness.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM
