Coronavirus: Ghana Tourism Authority closes down beaches

The Ghana Tourism Authority has ordered all beaches to be closed to the public until further notice.

The decision taken is on the back of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo's suspension of public gatherings to prevent the spread of the deadly Coronavirus in the country.

In a press release sighted by GhanaWeb, it noted that “the GTA with the support of the National Security and the Ghana Police Service will begin the patrols of the beaches from Tuesday, March 24, 2020 to ensure compliance with the closure order.”

The Authority further entreated the general public to cooperate with government to fight the virus by adhering to the order and the precautionary measures outlined by the President weeks ago.

About coronavirus

Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). A novel coronavirus (nCoV) is a new strain that has not been previously identified in humans.

Coronaviruses are zoonotic, meaning they are transmitted between animals and people. Detailed investigations found that SARS-CoV was transmitted from civet cats to humans and MERS-CoV from dromedary camels to humans. Several known coronaviruses are circulating in animals that have not yet infected humans.

Common signs of infection include respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death.



Standard recommendations to prevent infection spread include regular hand washing, covering mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, thoroughly cooking meat and eggs. Avoid close contact with anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness such as coughing and sneezing.

Read below the statement