Coronavirus scare: Akufo-Addo tours KIA, hospitals today

President Nana Akufo-Addo is scheduled to tour facilities such as the Kotoka International Airport, the Ridge Hospital and the Tema General Hospital later today, Wednesday, March 4, 2020.

He’s billed to inspect preparations done so far in these facilities in the event of the deadly Covid-19 in Ghana.

The President will interact with health officials and personnel assigned to fight the outbreak and spread of the virus in the country.

This follows a report by the World Health Organisation (WHO) that identified gaps to plan for preparedness, response and control activities in the West African country.

Ghana is classified among Priority 1 countries in WHO Africa region for at being at risk based on flights and passenger volumes, according to the WHO report.

However, there is inadequate funding to implement the various preparedness activities planned by the Government of Ghana.

Already, the Government of Ghana has committed 2.5 million Ghana Cedis to support preparedness, but an additional funding is required to meet the funding gap for prioritised activities, the WHO report said.

At least 26 suspected cases of the deadly disease that have proven negative in Ghana since the outbreak.

Nigeria last week announced the first confirmed case of the novel coronavirus in sub-Saharan Africa.

“The case is an Italian citizen who works in Nigeria and returned from Milan, Italy to Lagos, Nigeria on the 25th of February 2020,” Health Minister Osagie Ehanire said in a statement on Twitter.