Coronavirus: Don’t disregard laid down protocols – Government to quarantined persons

The government has advised the 1,030 travellers who have been quarantined in Ghana in the wake of the outbreak of coronavirus in the country to cooperate fully with health officials no matter how uncomfortable the situation may be.

According to the Minister for Information, this when done will go along way in preventing the spread of the deadly disease.

Some 1,030 air travellers who arrived in Ghana between Saturday and Sunday were picked up at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) and taken to a hotel for quarantine.

Some of these people are angry that they were not allowed to join their families but rather have had their movement restricted.

Out of the 1,030 quarantined, a total of 25 persons have tested positive for the virus from 185 test results ready, leaving an outstanding 611 persons whose tests are yet to be ready.

Speaking at a press briefing in Accra on Tuesday which saw officials from the Health Ministry, Immigration Service, and other state agencies in attendance, the Minister for Information Kojo Oppong Nkrumah urged the quarantined persons to keep to their confined rooms.

“It is in your own interest to do so. Even the mere interactions among yourselves put you at severe risk. As uncomfortable as the situation maybe now is not the time to disregard the rules or attempt to disrupt the laid-down protocols. Officials are doing the best to provide you with as much information as possible but please cooperate with them so that you don’t put yourselves and others at risk.”

The Minister of Health Kwaku Agyeman Manu speaking at the same event stated that his outfit is in the process of handing them over to the Case Management Teams that have been set up who have started taking them to isolated centres for case management.

“Definitely, not all of them will be critically ill and they are not, some of them may not be ill at all. But the decision on them will be on individual case management issues. If you are not even found to be ill you still have to stay in quarantine for the mandatory 14 days. Earlier on we were getting indications that if you test negative we may release you after four days. But after technical advice, we cannot do that so we have to keep you for the entire 14 days.” The Minister noted.

Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo announced in an address to the nation on Sunday that all borders – air, land, and sea – will be closed to human traffic from Sunday midnight in a bid to contain the Covid-19 disease.

“This closure will not apply to goods, supplies and cargo,” he said in the address.

He said anybody who arrives in the country within the next two weeks will undergo “mandatory quarantine” and tested for the coronavirus.”