COVID-19: Stop it! – GMA tells NIA to suspend mass registration

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The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has advised the National Identification Authority (NIA) to immediately suspend the ongoing mass registration exercise in the Eastern region.

“Interest of Public Health and Safety, the GMA calls on the National Identification Authority (NIA) to suspend with immediate effect the ongoing mass registration exercise in the Eastern region,” a statement by the GMA said.

The GMA argued that the NIA’s decision defeats the spirit and letter of the directives issued by the president as part of measures to combat the COVID-19 spread in the country.

Ghana has lost three of its citizens to the deadly coronavirus disease in Italy and Denmark.

Disclosing the news, the Foreign Affairs Minister Shirley Ayorkor Botchway said the government is monitoring the situation in other parts of the world to give the best form of protection to Ghanaians.

According to her, the situation is not critical and won’t require the evacuation of Ghanaians in hard-hit countries, however, she said Ghanaians need to adhere to health tips.

Ghana has shut down all educational institutions – universities, second cycle schools and basic schools – effective Monday, March 16, 2020, president Akufo-Addo announced Sunday evening.

All churches and public gatherings including funerals have been banned in the next four weeks due to the coronavirus disease, according to the president.

“All public gatherings festivals, political rallies, religious events have been suspended for the next four weeks,” Akufo-Addo announced.

President Akufo-Addo noted that private burials are allowed but should just be for a few people.

The Government has also announced a total travel ban for passengers who have been to countries where over 200 cases of the virus have been confirmed.

Ghana first recorded its two new cases on Thursday, March 12, 2020 involving a Norwegian and a Ghanaian who works with the UN office.

Meanwhile, the offices of the Norwegian Embassy in Ghana has been closed down indefinitely as one of its staff was among the first confirmed cases.

UN Office

Staff of the United Nations office in Ghana have been asked to work remotely as one of their colleagues tested positive for the Covid-19 (Coronavirus).

“One of the two cases of COVID-19 announced by the Government is a UN staff member who worked in one of the UN buildings up until the morning of 12 March 2020,” a statement from the UN local office said.

It added: “To ensure the safety of all staff in that building and the continuation of our work for sustainable development, the United Nations in Ghana has decided, as a precautionary measure, that staff on those premises should work from home.

An amount of $100 million has also been committed to contain the outbreak.

Many public institutions have also initiated steps to prevent the virus from spreading.

Death toll passes 5000

More than 5,000 people have died around the world after testing positive for coronavirus, AFP reports.

Iran announced another 85 deaths today, pushing its total number of fatalities to 514 amid 11,364 confirmed cases.

The real number of cases might be even higher, as questions have been raised about authorities’ transparency.

In Italy, the number of people who had died from the virus reached 1,000 on Thursday with some 15,000 cases confirmed.

China has recorded more than 3,000 deaths and over 80,000 people as testing positive for the virus.

More than 64,000 people in the country have now recovered, according to the latest information recorded by Johns Hopkins University.

TRAVEL ADVISORY

1. All travel to Ghana is strongly discouraged until further notice.

2. Any traveller, except for Ghanaian citizens, coming from or who has been to a country, that has recorded at least 200 cases of Covid-19 within the last 14 days, will not be admitted into the Ghanaian Jurisdiction. Airlines are instructed not to allow such persons to embark. Border posts are instructed not to allow such persons into the jurisdiction.

3. There will be a mandatory 14-day self-quarantine for persons who are otherwise allowed to enter the Ghanaian jurisdiction. Guidelines for self-quarantine will be availed at the various ports of entry.
Enforcement protocols are being deployed in collaboration with state security and health authorities.

4. Any admissible traveller, who exhibits symptoms of Covid-19 will be quarantined and tested upon reaching Ghana.

Source: Daily Mail GH