Minister given two days to find escaped coronavirus patient

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Tamale South Constituency has given the Northern Regional Minister a two-day ultimatum to find the COVID-19 patient, who escaped from a quarantine facility in Tamale on Monday.

Mr Abdul Ganiyu Sandow, Communication Officer of the NDC in the Tamale South Constituency, who gave the ultimatum on behalf of the Executives of the Constituency, said it was the duty of the Regional Minister to protect the lives of the people hence the need for him to find the COVID-19 patient to assure the people of their safety in this trying time.

He gave the ultimatum in Tamale on Friday, when he and other Constituency Executives, on behalf of the Minority Leader and Member of Parliament for the area, donated items to institutions in the constituency to help in the fight against COVID-19.

The items included 200 Veronica Buckets and metal stands, 1,500 large packs of tissue paper, quantities of liquid soap, 200 tissue paper collection bins and 3,000 bottles of hand sanitisers and the beneficiaries included chief palaces, CHPS Compounds, meat shops amongst other identifiable groups in the constituency.

On Monday, March 31, a 21 year-old Guinean lady, who was amongst the 10 people, who tested positive for COVID-19 in Tamale, escaped from the quarantine facility in Tamale.

The quarantine facility was being guarded by two soldiers and two police personnel when the lady escaped and has since not been found.

Mr Salifu Saeed, Northern Regional Minister, in view of the incident, appealed to the public not to panic assuring that frantic efforts were being made to find the lady.

However, there are fears that the lady could be spreading the disease amongst members of the public, which could derail the country’s efforts at suppressing it.

Mr Sandow said the failure to find the lady was endangering the lives of the people of Tamale and the region as a whole saying the NDC in the constituency would decide its next line of action if the Minister failed to find the lady before the ultimatum elapsed.