Coronavirus: Ghanaian MP wants Akufo-Addo quarantined after Europe tour

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

A Ghanaian Parliamentarian, Ras Mubarak, wants President Akufo-Addo isolated and quarantined for mandatory 14 days after he returns to Ghana from his working visit to Europe.

The Kumbungu MP who made a strong case in Parliament on Friday said the action is important due to the President’s recent visit to Norway — where there is a reported case of COVID-19, popularly known as the novel coronavirus.

He further called for measures to be put in place to run the necessary checks on MPs who are currently on assignment to countries with reported cases.

“Could my honourable friends confirm whether upon arrival in the country from his European tour, his Excellency the President will be quarantined? Mr. Speaker, I say so because the President of Mongolia has been quarantined for the 14-day mandatory period and Mr. Speaker, his Excellency the President has visited Norway which has recorded a case of Coronavirus. It will be very helpful to get information as to when his Excellency will be quarantined when he arrives in the country.”

Akufo-Addo left Ghana on Friday for a 12-day working visit to Scotland, Norway, the United Kingdom, Switzerland and Belgium.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has identified gaps in Ghana’s plan for preparedness, response and control activities to any confirmed case of COVID-19 popularly known as Coronavirus.

So far 15 suspected cases have been recorded in Ghana and all have proven negative.

A report from the WHO stated that even though the country has capacity “in-country to test for COVID-19 disease (Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research and Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research) its readiness status is largely moderate”.

The WHO has classified Ghana among Priority 1 countries in the Africa region for being at risk based on flights and passenger volumes.

Nigeria becomes the first West African country to confirm the virus in the country on Friday.

“The case is an Italian citizen who works in Nigeria and returned from Milan, Italy to Lagos, Nigeria on the 25th of February 2020,” Health Minister Osagie Ehanire said in a statement on Twitter.

Highlights of the WHO report

• Using WHO’s Country Readiness checklist, Ghana assessed its capacities to respond to any suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19 and identified gaps to plan for preparedness, response and control activities.

• The Government of Ghana has committed 2.5 million Ghana Cedis to support preparedness.

• Various activities are being undertaken including strengthening surveillance to identify suspected COVID-19 cases for testing.

• There is capacity in-country to test for COVID-19 disease (Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research and Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research).

• So far, 15 suspected cases have been tested for with all 15 testing negative for COVID-19.

• Ghana is classified among Priority 1 countries in WHO Africa region for at being at risk based on flights and passenger volumes.

Click the link below to read the full report:

By Jonathan Ofori, Daily Mail GH, joevica18@gmail.com