Coronavirus updates As it happens (2020-06-14)

Jun 16, 2020

M&G Pharmaceuticals Supports Ghana Covid-19 Private Sector Fund

The Ghana Covid-19 Private Sector Fund has received a donation of GHC51,000 from M&G Pharmaceuticals Limited to support the construction of an infectious disease isolation and treatment facility.

Management of M&G Pharmaceuticals Limited made the presentation at the Ga East District Hospital in Accra, where the facility is located.

Jun 16, 2020

High Schools In Ahafo Region Benefit From Disinfection Against COVID-19

Senior High Schools (SHSs) in the Ahafo Region on Tuesday benefitted from the Ministry of Education, Ghana Education Service and Zoomlion Ghana Limited disinfection programme against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

The schools were Boakye Tromo Senior High Technical School, in the Tano-North District, Presbyterian Senior High Shool, Bechem, Bebusco SHS, Serwaa Kesse SHS, Duayaw Nkwanta, Bechem School for the Deaf and Blind etc., all in the Ahafo Region.

Jun 16, 2020

S/R: West Gonja MCE Secures World Vision Support To Deal With COVID-19

The Municipal Chief Executive for West Gonja, Hon. Saaed Muhazu Jibreel has secured the support of World Vision to help combat the spread of the novel Coronavirus in the municipality.

Among others, the humanitarian NGO donated 50 handwashing facilities and accessories and 50 gallons of soap to the municipality.

Jun 16, 2020

COVID 19: CSUC To The Aid Of Kumasi Prisons And Children’s Home

The Christian Service University College in Kumasi has donated nose masks as well as food items including Gari, cooking oil, sugar, and Fruits to the Kumasi Central Prisons to support its COVID 19 Infection Prevention and Control Measures.

From the onset of COVID 19, amnesty was granted some 800 prisoners across the country, but its effect on densely crowded prisons like the Kumasi Central Prisons holding close to 2000 inmates, would not be significant.

Jun 16, 2020

Covid-19: Sissala West District Records 10 New Cases

The Sissala West District of the Upper West Region has recorded 10 new cases of COVID 19.

This brings the total number of cases in the region to 33.

Jun 16, 2020

UK research shows anti-inflammatory steroid cuts Covid-19 deaths by one-third

The commonly used steroid dexamethasone was shown Tuesday to be the first drug to significantly reduce the risk of death among severe COVID-19 cases. The trial results are being hailed as a "major breakthrough".

Researchers led by a team from the University of Oxford administered the widely available drug to more than 2,000 severely ill COVID-19 patients.

REUTERS - YVES HERMAN

Jun 16, 2020

Covid-19, ecology and revolt on the menu for 'Visa pour l'image festival'

The 32nd edition of Visa pour l'image photojournalism festival will be held in early September in Perpignan in the south of France, just two months late.

However, the event will be 'reduced' announced the organisers, due to health precautions in place to keep the coronavirus epidemic under control.

Jun 16, 2020

Covid-19: Dexamethasone Proves First Life-Saving Drug

A cheap and widely available drug can help save the lives of patients diagnosed with coronavirus.

The low-dose steroid treatment dexamethasone is a major breakthrough in the fight against the deadly virus, UK experts say.

Jun 16, 2020

35% Of Eligible Voters Refuse To Register Over Covid-19 Scare — ChaLog Survey

The Chamber for Local Governance (ChaLoG) says a survey it conducted revealed that 35% of eligible voters declined to participate in the voter registration due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

ChaLoG announcing this in a press release said, “Thirty five percent (35%) of the current voter population will not risk their lives going out to register if the EC is to go ahead with its avowed aim to compile a new biometric voters register ahead of the 2020 General Elections for fear of contracting the ever increasing spread of the corona virus disease”.

Jun 16, 2020

Covid-19: Apam Confirms 19 Positive Cases

Apam, in the Gomoa West District of the Central Region, has recorded 19 COVID-19 positive cases, the Ghana Health Service (GHS) has confirmed.

Mr Cletus Bayor, the Gomoa West District Director of the GHS, who confirmed this to the Ghana News Agency, said the disease was brought to the Apam Community by a COVID-19 patient who escaped from quarantine in the Eastern Region.

Jun 16, 2020

COVID-19: Ahafo Regions Commence Disinfection Of Basic And Junior High Schools

Following the announcement of the reopening of Junior and Senior High Schools on the 29th June 2020, Zoomlion Ghana Limited has begun disinfection exercises in Basic and Junior High Schools within Bono, Bono East, and Ahafo region as part of the precautionary measures to protect the children from novel COVID-19.

The exercise which commenced on Monday which will continue for about a week is expected to cover about 1,729 and 65 Basic and Junior High schools, and Senior High schools respectively in the 3 Regions.

Jun 16, 2020

COVID-19 Fight And Repoening Of Schools: SHS Heads Assure Students Of Their Readiness

As senior high schools (SHSs) prepare to re-open on Monday, June 22, heads of SHSs in the Eastern Region have assured that all arrangements were in place to receive both the final-year and Form Two students.

These arrangements, they said, included availability of Veronica buckets, soaps, alcohol-based hand sanitisers among others to be used by the students and staff members when they return.

Jun 16, 2020

COVID Staff Have Been Isolated – Obgbojo Polyclinic Clarifies

The Management of Ogbojo Polyclinic has clarified that only three COVID-19 cases have been recorded among staff of the facility and not six as reported earlier.

According to the hospital, the three affected staff have been isolated and are being taken care of.

Jun 16, 2020

Research shows young people are 50% less likely to catch Covid-19

People under the age of 20 are half as likely to contract COVID-19 than the rest of the population, according to new modelling released on Tuesday that suggests four out of five infected young people show no symptoms.

The research, published in the Nature Medicine Journal, could help inform the next moves of governments under pressure to reopen schools and colleges shuttered since the start of the pandemic.

Rfi / Alison Hird

Jun 16, 2020

French parliament probes state 'failures' in tackling Covid-19 crisis

A French parliamentary commission of inquiry into the coronavirus crisis – intended to dissect the “failures” on the part of authorities – opened Tuesday before the National Assembly.

In one of four investigations into the way the epidemic was handled, ministers, health agency bosses and government advisors will appear in front of MPs for six months of hearings to "establish the genealogy and chronology” of the outbreak.

REUTERS - Charles Platiau

Jun 16, 2020

Parts of India, Africa re-instate lockdown to manage Covid-19 clusters

As some countries are easing out of lockdown and reopening their borders, others are going for tougher measures and re-imposing lockdown in certain clusters with an alarming resurgence of Covid-19 cases.

The state of Tamil Nadu in India will impose a “complete” 12-day lockdown to bring down the number of Covid-19 cases which, on Monday, reached over 46,000.

Jun 16, 2020

French Guiana postpones second round of local elections over Covid-19

Authorities in the overseas French territory of Guiana have decided to postpone the second round of municipal elections due to the Covid-19 crisis. The hospitals have also requested more medical assistance to deal with the increasing number of cases.

Meanwhile, Mayotte, despite remaining in 'orange' risk zone, has decided to maintain elections.In his televised address on Sunday 14 June, President Emmanuel Macron announced that all of mainland France would be considered a 'green' zone.

Jody Amiet / AFP

Jun 16, 2020

Covid-19: NHIA CEO Tests Positive

The Chief Executive Officer of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) Dr. Lydia Dsane-Selby has tested positive for COVID-19, Starrfm.com.gh has gathered.

A source familiar with the development said staff of the NHIA have been informed of the status of their boss while contact tracing is underway. She is currently under quarantine.

The Chief Executive Officer of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) Dr. Lydia Dsane-Selby

Jun 16, 2020

COVID-19: Science, Technology And Innovation Key To Africa’s Recovery ― Says Songwe

Science, technology and innovation will be at the heart of Africa’s recovery from the devastating coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the continent’s ability to create sustainable jobs, Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Vera Songwe, said Monday.

In remarks at the beginning of a five-day virtual COVID-19 Africa Innovation and Investment Forum 2020, Ms. Songwe said Africa needs innovations to drive homegrown solutions out of the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic recession it has triggered the world over.

Jun 16, 2020

COVID-19; Tamale Technical University Suspends All Activities As Final Year Students Return

All forms of mass gathering within the Tamale Technical University have been suspended by the school’s management, even as completing students return to campus on Monday.

Also, students have been forbidden from accessing all university facilities without wearing a facemask.