Coronavirus updates As it happens (2020-04-09)

Apr 10, 2020

Covid-19: 79% of Confirmed Cases Imported – Akufo-Addo

President Nana Akufo-Addo has revealed that about 79 percent of the 313 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Ghana are imported cases.

He says his decision to close Ghana's borders has been justified having recorded remarkable success with discovery of people with the virus.

Apr 10, 2020

Covid-19: Four Persons Recover In Ghana

One more COVID-19 patient in Ghana has recovered from the virus.

This brings to 4, the total number of people who have recovered from the disease in the country.

Apr 10, 2020

Covid-19: Akufo-Addo Announces 50% Reduction In Electricity Bill For 3month

President Akufo-Addo has slashed electricity bills for Ghanaians for the next three month to mitigate the impact of the covid-19 pandemic.

The 50% reduction includes both residential and commercial users for April, May and June.

Apr 9, 2020

Covid-19: Barbara Oteng-Gyasi Donates GH₵100,000 Worth Of PPE’s To Prestea Huni-Valley Municipality

The incumbent New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Prestea Huni-valley constituency, Hon. Barbara Oteng-Gyasi, on Tuesday, April 7, presented some Personal Preventive Equipment (PPEs) to the Prestea Huni-Valley Municipal Health Directorate.

The move forms part of her numerous efforts to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus and also contribute resources to ensure the utmost safety of constituents especially frontline medical personnel at the various health facilities in the area, in their fight against the global pandemic.

Apr 9, 2020

France reports first decrease in coronavirus intensive care patients

France on Thursday reported its first fall in the number of patients in intensive care suffering from COVID-19 since the coronavirus epidemic began, with 82 fewer people in intensive care units compared with the day earlier.

There are now 7,066 patients in intensive care, top French health official Jerome Salomon told reporters, adding that the total combined death toll in hospitals and nursing homes had now risen to 12,210.

REUTERS - BENOIT TESSIER

Apr 9, 2020

BREAKING UK PM moved out of intensive care

A spokesman for the UK prime minister said: "The prime minister has been moved this evening from intensive care back to the ward, where he will receive close monitoring during the early phase of his recovery."

"He is in extremely good spirits."

Apr 9, 2020

WHO marks 100 days of Covid-19

By BBC News

On 31 December 2019 – exactly 100 days ago – the Chinese government reported the detection of a “pneumonia of unknown cause” to the World Health Organization (WHO).

That illness would come to be called Covid-19. First detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan, the disease has since swept across the world, infecting more than 1.5 million people, about 90,000 of whom have died.

The grim 100-day milestone was acknowledged by the head of the WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, at a media briefing on Thursday.

In a sobering statement, Dr Tedros said Covid-19 had “overwhelmed health systems, disrupted the global economy, and lead to widespread social disruption”.

The pandemic, he said, was much worse than a health crisis, requiring “a whole-of government and whole-of-society response”.

“In the last 100 days, Covid-19 has shown us the damage it can mete out in wealthy nations,” Dr Tedros said.

So, what did happen in those 100 days? Here is a timeline of key events so far:

31 December 2019: China informs the WHO of "cases of pneumonia of unknown cause” detected in Wuhan
11 January: China reports its first known death from an illness caused by Covid-19
12 January: China publicly shares the genetic sequence of Covid-19
13 January: The first Covid-19 case outside China is reported in Thailand, heralding the start of its spread worldwide
23 January: A lockdown is imposed in Wuhan, a city of 11 million people
30 January: A “public health emergency of international concern” is officially declared by the WHO
7 February: Li Wenliang, a Chinese doctor who tried to warn the world about Covid-19, dies with the disease
22 February: Italy reports its first coronavirus deaths, as it introduces social-distancing measures
11 March: The WHO labels the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic
27 March: UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson tests positive for coronavirus, the first known world leader to do so

Apr 9, 2020

Merkel offers 'cautious hope' for Germany

By BBC News

German Chancellor Angela Merkel says the "slight flattening" of the country's coronavirus curve offers some "cautious hope".

The number of confirmed infections in Germany rose by 4,974 in the past 24 hours to 108,202, climbing for the third straight day after four previous days of drops. There have been 2,107 deaths.

Merkel said: "I can say that the latest numbers on the spread of the virus give reason for cautious hope.

"The curve is flattening slightly. And the number of those infected is going slightly down. We can be very happy about that."

Apr 9, 2020

Somali Journalist Abdalle Ahmed Mumin Says There Is ‘Nobody To Trust’ For COVID-19 Information

Somali freelance journalist Abdalle Ahmed Mumin has covered the news for 17 years, spending much of that time in one of the most dangerous places in the world to work as a journalist. Since CPJ started keeping records in 1992, at least 69 journalists have been killed in Somalia for their work.

After reporting on the killing of an Al-Shabaab commander for the Wall Street Journal in late 2014, Abdalle received anonymous death threats, and later survived a shooting attempt in Mogadishu, the Somali capital.

Somali freelance journalist Abdalle Ahmed Mumin. (Abdalle Ahmed Mumin)

Apr 9, 2020

COVID-19 : I Would Have Given Cash, Free Electricity To Ghanaians--Kofi Akpaloo

The Founder and Presidential hopeful for the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG), Percival Kofi Akpaloo, has revealed that he would have given every Ghanaian money, free electricity if coronavirus happened under his administration.

According to him, he understands the hardship Ghanaians are going through for the inability to do business because of coronavirus scare hence he would have strategized and put monies in the pocket of Ghanaians.

Apr 9, 2020

LOPCARE Donates To Kwabre East Constituency Amid COVID-19

LOPCARE a humanitarian subsidiary of team LOP today embarked on a community visit to educate, sensitize and donate to communities within the Kwabre East Municipal Assembly to help calm and stop the spread of COVID-19 in our municipality.

A well-organized team made up of the leader of teamLOP, Lawyer Anthony Osei Poku, security personnel, trained and qualified physician and nurses, a paramedic and supporters of teamLOP who are NPP officials and non-officials took off at 8:28am and made our first stop at Asumenya in the Fawoade-Bampenase electoral area.

Apr 9, 2020

Covid-19: Man Beaten To Death For Flouting Lockdown Rules; Residents Threaten Retaliate

A 32-YEAR old man has died after he was allegedly brutalised by three policemen.

Kwabena Gideon, the deceased, had breached the lockdown order at 10pm.

Apr 9, 2020

COVID-19: Private Medical & Dental Practitioners Vex Gov't Over Exclusion From Relief Packages

The Society for Private Medical and Dental Practitioners has raised concerns over the exclusion of its members from the government’s three-month tax holiday given to some health professionals.

According to the private practitioners, the document from the Ministry of Health detailing the beneficiaries of the directive of the President only mentioned health workers in the public sector.

Apr 9, 2020

Covid-19: Three Suspected Cases Reported In Yendi

There have been three suspected Coronavirus cases reported at the Yendi Municipal Hospital in the Northern Region.

Confirming the reports to Citi News, the Medical Superintendent of the hospital, Dr Ayuba S. Abdulai said samples have been sent to Kumasi for testing.

Apr 9, 2020

Covid-19: Mahama Donates PPE To Tamale Teaching Hospital

Former President John Dramani Mahama has extended his support in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic to the Tamale Teaching Hospital in the Northern Region with the provision of Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs).

The former President who could not make it himself to the region had the Northern Regional executives represent him to donate some personal protective equipment worth GHS 40,000 to the Tamale Teaching Hospital to enable frontline health workers to manage COVID-19 cases in the facility.

Apr 9, 2020

Covid-19: More Ghanaians Reportedly Ejected In China, Beijing

Some Ghanaians living in the Chinese capital, Beijing were this morning reported to have been evicted from their apartments over fears of carrying the novel Coronavirus disease.

The latest eviction of some Ghanaians in Beijing comes a day after Hundreds of African residents and businessmen in China's southern city of Guangzhou were evicted from hotels and apartments as local health officials roll out a large scale, mandatory testing of Africans.

Apr 9, 2020

Covid-19: Tema Cop Shooting: The Inside Story

Details are emerging about what triggered the shooting of a policewoman, Lance Corporal Francisca Tengey, by a soldier during the covid-19 lockdown duties last night.

The identity of the soldier has been revealed as Able Seaman 1 (AB1) Oppong Bekoe of the Naval Headquarters, Burma Camp in Accra who is currently on detention after shooting the policewoman in the thigh at Tema New Town.

Lance Corporal Francisca Tengey

Apr 9, 2020

Ejura-Sekyedumase MCE Supports COVID-19 Fight With GHC10,000

The Municipal Chief Executive of Ejura-Sekyedumase Municipality, Alhaji Mohammed Salisu Bamba, this morning on NaaGyei FM hinted at setting up a COVID-19 Fund in the course of the week to help in the fight against the pandemic.

"I am giving out an amount of GHC10,000 as seed money for the Municipal Fund," he said.

Apr 9, 2020

Covid-19: 13 Traced To Central Region Patient – Health Directorate

Some 13 persons who came into contact with the first COVID-19 patient in the Central Region have so far been traced.

This is according to the Regional Director of Health, Dr. Akosua Owusu Sarpong.

Apr 9, 2020

Covid-19: Striker Gin Company Donates GHC 10,000, Items To Tema General Hospital

Striker Gin Company (1 Africa Industries Limited), has donated some relief items to the Tema General Hospital to fight the rising numbers of coronavirus in Ghana.

Among items donated to the hospital includes 50 boxers of hand sanitizers, 30 boxes of protective medical gloves and a Cheque of Ghc10,000 to support the fight against COVID-19.