Tests have been carried out on 7,461 out of the 15,384 persons identified through contact tracing and 14 have tested positive for coronavirus, the Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah has disclosed.
This figure is part of the newly recorded Covid-19 cases in the country which has taken Ghana’s count to 287.
At a press briefing in Accra, Mr Oppong Nkrumah said “out of the 15,384 samples that are being process, 7,461 have been tested so far, and 14 (0.18 percent) have tested positive.”
He, however, urged calm and stated, “that is why we continue to encourage people that do not get alarmed when you see the raw case count numbers go up.
“It is because we are aggressively going out there now in search of the virus, we will find these numbers. The more numbers we find the better we are for the health service to provide care for those who are sick. Please do not be alarmed,” he said.
During his address to the nation on Sunday, President Akufo-Addo indicated that Ghana’s fight against the coronavirus hinges on test results from these 15,384 persons.
He disclosed that these persons were culled from the 19,276 persons who have been reached through contact tracing.
“It is the results of these tests that will determine our future course of action. Government’s policy and measures will continue to be driven by the science in this matter.
“…so, in the course of the coming week, a determination will be made as to whether or not to extend the duration of the two-week restriction on movement, and the implementation or otherwise of any more enhanced measures to deal with the virus,” the President told the nation.
The Ghana Health Service has, however, given a regional distribution of the 287 cases as follows: Greater Accra Region has most cases (258) followed by the Ashanti Region (18), Northern Region (10), Upper West Region (1), Eastern Region (1) and Upper East Region (1),” the Ghana Health Service stated on its dedicated page for Covid-19 updates.
The update further revealed that a total of 172 cases were reported from the routine and enhanced surveillance activities.
The Service added that confirmed coronavirus cases from travellers under mandatory quarantine in both Accra and Tamale were 115.
Meanwhile, the Service said the period for mandatory quarantine for travellers who arrived from March 21 to 22, 2020 has ended.
“In all, a total of 1,030 travellers were quarantined during the period. Out of these, 79 (7.7 percent) were positive during the initial testing whilst 951 were negative.
“Twenty-six (26) among those that were initially negative were found to have converted to be positive at the exit screening, bringing to a total of 105 which constitutes 10.2 percent among the travellers that were quarantined.” according to the latest update.
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