Foreign Ministry suspends passport services

In keeping with government’s directives to prevent the spread of coronavirus disease, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration has suspended passport services at all Passport Application Centres (PACs) with immediate effect.

A statement issued by the Ministry and copied to the Ghana News Agency said applicants would not be admitted for vetting and capture procedures and also for collection of processed passports.

“All PACs will remain closed for the next two weeks or until such a time that the situation would be sufficiently safe for opening,” it said.

“Help to protect us all from COVID-19. Be safe”.

Background

Coronavirus cases in Ghana have hit nine. This was disclosed by President Nana Akufo-Addo on Thursday, March 19, 2020.

The President said this during a Presidential Prayer Breakfast Meeting with Christian leaders in Ghana at the Jubilee House.

He said; “…We also learned, sadly on Wednesday, that 3 Ghanaians living abroad had lost their lives as a result. With 9 confirmed cases of infections, we might as well count ourselves lucky as one of the countries least hit by the Coronavirus”.

As of Wednesday, March 18, the cases were seven but the Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah took to social media site, Twitter to explain that the two extra cases were recorded overnight.

“Unfortunately we have confirmed two more cases overnight. Ghana’s case count is now at 9. Health services are still managing all suspected and confirmed cases well,” he added.

Both cases according to the government were imported.

The Ghana Health Service’s website dedicated to updating Ghanaians on COVID-19 cases said the two additional cases involved a 56-year-old Ghanaian who travelled back to Accra from the UK and a 33-year-old who also came in from a conference in UAE.

“On the 18th March, we received another report form NMIMR indicating two (2) more confirmed cases from the Greater Accra Region. Both are imported cases. One is a 56-year-old man, a Ghanaian who travelled back to Accra from a trip to UK about a week ago.

The other is a 33-year-old Ghanaian, who returned to Accra from a conference in UAE. Both cases are receiving treatment in isolation.”

The Ghana Health Service website noted that no death has been recorded yet.