Covid-19: Ghana procures 50,000 test kits

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A total of 50,000 test kits have been procured as the deadly Covid-19 disease begins to ravage Ghana.

President Akufo-Addo made this disclosure while addressing the country on Saturday night.

“More personal protection equipment are being procured to beef up supplies for our frontline health workers. Fifty thousand additional tests kits have been ordered, and are expected in the country shortly,” said President Akufo-Addo.

“The Ministry of Health will not only step up its contact tracing efforts, but will also see to it that all persons who have been identified as having come into contact with infected persons are tested for the virus,” he stressed.

This comes in the wake of the deadly Covid-19 disease which has since claimed the life of one person as confirmed cases climb to 21.

The patient— a Lebanese resident in Ghana died from severe symptoms of the deadly disease in Kumasi.

Ghana to close borders March 22

Ghana is to close all its borders from midnight on Sunday, March 22 to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

The border closure is to last for two weeks, according to President Nana Akufo-Addo.

“All our borders; by land, sea and air, will be closed to human traffic for the next two weeks beginning midnight on Sunday,” he said in an address to the Nation on Saturday evening.

Following restrictions from recently reviewed travel protocols, the only admissible travellers into Ghana were Ghanaians and foreign nationals with residence permits in Ghana.

But ahead of the closure, this category of travellers will be subject to a mandatory quarantine.

Ghana announced new travel protocols when the detected cases stood at seven.

Travellers who had been in coronavirus-hit countries with cases exceeding 200 within the 14 days preceding their arrival were to be barred from entering the country.

The admissible travellers who exhibit symptoms of the virus are to be quarantined and tested upon reaching Ghana.

The government said airlines had been instructed not to allow such persons into the country.

It also said travel to Ghana was strongly discouraged.

By Jonathan Ofori, Daily Mail GH