We’re not overwhelmed – Noguchi

Professor Kwabena Anang, the Director at the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research has revealed that they have the capacity to test 1000 samples daily as the COVID-19 infections steadily increase in Ghana.

According to him, the institute is well-positioned to handle testing of COVID-19 samples but the capacities of other laboratories must be built to help the institute if infections begin to peak.

“We can do a 1000 samples on a daily basis…so the institute is well-positioned but we must build the capacities of other laboratories,” Prof Anang told host Lantam Papanko on GHONE TV Tuesday adding, “the government said that people arriving by air should be quarantined and tested so now we are testing in the 100s but we not overwhelmed.”

Ghana has so far recorded 27 cases of the coronavirus disease with two deaths. Globally the coronavirus has affected over 280, 000 people with over 16, 000 deaths.

China, Italy, USA, Spain, Germany and the UK are the worst-hit countries in the world with South Africa and Egypt the hardest-hit countries on the African continent.

All social gatherings have been banned by the President with Ghana’s borders also closed to traffic. People arriving in the country locked for a 14-day mandatory quarantine.

The Ghana Tourism Authority on Monday also ordered the indefinite closure of all beaches across the country as part of measures to slow the spread of the COVID-19 disease.