The Government of Ghana has announced a ban on church related activities, mosques prayers and all other public gatherings.
President Akufo-Addo made this bold declaration Sunday evening, as part of measures to stop the spread of coronavirus in the country.
In his second national address on the Coronavirus update, President Akufo-Addo said; “all public gatherings including conferences, workshops, funerals, festivals, political rallies, sporting events and religious events such as services in churches and mosques have been suspended.”
The ban will be in force for the “next four weeks”.
Additionally, he said, though “private burials are permitted,” the membership should be “limited to not more than 25 persons.”
“Secondly, all Universities, Senior High Schools and basic schools (i.e private and public) will be closed Monday, 26th of March, 2020 till further notice,” President Akufo-Addo stated.
Earlier on Sunday, the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Ghana was revealed to have increased to six, according to the Director of Public Health at Ghana Health Service, Dr. Badu Sarkodie.
All the six confirmed cases were imported into the country.
Briefing the press on the current status of COVID-19 in the country at the Information Ministry, on Sunday, March 15, 2020, Dr Badu Sarkodie indicated that four more cases have been recorded.
It would be recalled that on Thursday, Ghana recorded its first cases after two men from Turkey and Norway tested positive.
According to him on Friday, 13th March 2020, two cases were recorded; one in the Ashanti Region and the other in the Greater Accra Region.
“The first is a 56-year-old Ghanaian who returned from a trip in the United Kingdom on the 4th of March. He stayed in the UK for 10 days. He developed symptoms on the 12th of March and reported to a health facility in Obuasi,” said Dr. Sarkodie.
The second case in this batch was a 41-year-old Ghanaian male. He reported to the Tema General Hospital on the 14th of March with fever and acute respiratory illness. He had travelled to Turkey and Germany within the past 14 days. Results from Noguchi came back positive.
Both cases had no symptoms on arrival.
Dr. Badu however assured that all four cases are very stable and under observation. They are receiving treatment under isolation conditions.
On 14th March 2020, two cases were again confirmed.
The first case was a 42-year-old man who had returned from Switzerland and the UK. The second was a 41-year-old man who had returned from Germany and Turkey.
“This brings to a total of six confirmed COVID-19 cases in Ghana, there are no deaths and this is the situation as at March 14, 2020. All the 6 cases were imported into Ghana,” he added.
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