Coronavirus: Ghana's health facilities not under pressure - President

President Nana Akufo-Addo has indicated that Ghana’s case count of coronavirus which is in excess of 2000 is not huge to put Ghana’s health workers and facilities under stress.

Ghana has recorded 2,074 confirmed cases of Covid-19 after conducting a total of 113,497 tests. 17 of those who contested positive have died and 212 persons have recovered.

Addressing workers during a virtual celebration of this year’s May Day in the studios of Ghana Broadcasting Corporation in Accra, Friday, said six persons with Covid-19 are critically ill.

“Our positivity rate has gone up marginally from 1.5% to 1.8%, six (6) persons are critically ill, and one thousand, eight hundred and thirty-nine (1,839) persons are well and responding to treatment in health facilities or are being managed from home.”

President Akufo-Addo explained, “This, in effect, means that there is, presently, no big pressure on our healthcare facilities to manage these cases. We pray to God it stays that way.”

This year’s celebration was under a revised theme: “COVID-19 in Ghana: the Impact on Employment and Working Conditions”.

The president announced pragmatic steps taken by government to boost the nation’s testing capacity.

“Steps at increasing further our testing capacity have been taken, with the coming on stream of the Veterinary Laboratory in Accra, the Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research Laboratory also in Accra, the University of Health and Allied Sciences in Ho, and the Veterinary Laboratory in Pong-Tamale, to aid the labours of the Noguchi Research Institute, the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research, and the National Public Health Reference Laboratory at the Korle-bu Teaching Hospital.”



He also mentioned that a number of isolation, quarantine and treatment facilities have also been identified across the country for use.

President Akufo-Addo praised The Church of Pentecost for their unflinching support in the fight against Covid-19.

“The nation is profoundly grateful to the Church of Pentecost for the generous, Christian gesture of making available its multipurpose Convention Centre, at Gomoa Fetteh, as an isolation centre which can house over one thousand (1,000) persons and three hundred (300) medical staff”.

He also noted that Ghana’s implementation strategy of tracing, testing and treating is the surest way of rooting out the virus.

“As I have stated, time and again, all the measures put in place to combat the spread of the disease are under constant review, and Government will not hesitate to cordon, impose a curfew, trace, test, and treat persons in communities where we are witnessing significant spread of infections.”

He further urged all to continue to practice social distancing, wash their hands with soap under running water, refrain from shaking hands, and wear masks whenever they leave their homes.

“We must observe these measures religiously, as they are the weapons of our battle against the virus.”