'No need to panic' - Upper East regional minister spreads calm amidst coronavirus fear

Correspondence from Upper East:

The Upper East Regional Minister, Tangoba Abayage has urged the people of the region to remain calm as authorities begin contact tracing for a confirmed case of coronavirus in the region.

In a statement she released Friday night to officially announce the region’s first recorded case, the Minister urged the people not to panic, assuring that the patient has been isolated and was in good condition.

She explained that the patient is a 33-year-old female resident of Bolgatanga who had travelled back from a week stay in the Western Region.

Ms. Tangoba said upon arrival, the patient presented herself to the Upper East Regional Hospital with symptoms consistent with the deadly coronavirus disease where her samples were taken and sent to Kumasi for laboratory confirmation.

The test revealed she was positive for the virus, making her the first to contract the disease out of 20 cases investigated by the region.

Below is the Regional Minister’s statement;

The Upper East Region has recorded its first case of Covid19: a 33-year-old woman with no travel history out of the country. She, however, travelled to the Western Region for a week and returned to Bolgatanga on 27/03/2020.

On 28/03/2020 she presented herself to the UE Regional Hospital with symptoms consistent with COVID-19. Samples were sent to Kumasi for laboratory confirmation.

On 03/04/2020 GHS received the laboratory feedback indicating a positive result for Covid19 out of 20 cases so far investigated.

The patient is in good condition and under isolation. Contact tracing has been initiated.

The general public is urged to remain calm: there’s no need for panic. Thank you.

Signed:

Tangoba Abayage

(Regional Minister)