Coronavirus: We were caught by surprise - Oppong Nkrumah

Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, has confirmed government cannot say it has put up every measure needed to fight the outbreak of Coronavirus in the country because it came at an unexpected time with no budgetary allocation.

He disclosed that the emergency allocated funds from the 2020 budget statement cannot meet the expenses made with respect to the COVID-19 outbreak in the country, hence the $100 million cash set aside to enhance the fight.

The NPP MP for Ofoase-Ayirebi Constituency in the Eastern region however explained that every allocated fund with respect to COVID-19 will soon be accounted for by the finance minister since he has no concrete information at the moment.

“...We cannot not say all is perfect but we have now beef-up our preparedness towards COVID-19 because it came up unexpectedly just as other countries are as well struggling to get preventive measures. Finance minister will soon account for every lost made since I don’t have figures to that effect,” he said.

In a one-on-one interview with the Information Minister on UTV’s 'Mpu ne Mpu' Friday, he indicated Ghana has not yet reached the emergency stage of the disease and will not get there if every citizen keeps to the preventive measures laid down.

“We are in good standing but need to strictly go by the precautionary measures laid out. We have not gotten to the lock down stage and let’s pray we don’t get there, because it will seize everything in the country, it is the last option too,” he added.

Kojo Oppong Nkrumah advised citizens not to be afraid when the number of cases of COVID 19 go up because research has it that the number on record cases will go up when it appears in any country before it comes to a reduction stage when precautionary measures are observed.