COVID-19: We’ll Decide Whether To Lockdown E/R By Close Of Day – Regional Minister

The Eastern Regional Coordinating Council will later today, Monday, April 13 conclude on measures towards containing the further spread of COVID-19 in the region.

According to the authorities, strict restrictions including a possible lockdown will be considered following the increase in the region's case count.

32 cases of COVID-19 have been recorded in the Eastern Regin as of Sunday, April 12, 2020.

Speaking to Citi News ahead of today’s deliberation, the Eastern Regional Minister, Eric Kwakye Daffour said considerations of a possible lockdown will be finalized.

“The Chief Executives in those areas have also up their games trying to bring all measures of restrictions in order to minimise the interactions between individuals and organizations. From Osudoku to Lower Manya to Akosombo, those areas are heavily populated and so the security agencies and the public health emergency service committee are working on that. But we have not declared a total lockdown yet. We are following the development so by Monday, I do strongly believe that we will be able to come out with a possible determination,” he assured.

Contact tracing, new restrictions in Lower Manya Krobo

Last Saturday, contact tracing commenced in the Kpong township after the increase of novel Coronavirus cases in the Lower Manya Krobo district.

The recent cases in the district compelled the Municipal Assembly to impose some restrictions on residents and traders in the municipality.

At the national level, an additional 158 new COVID-19 cases were reported on Sunday pushing the total count to 566.

An update by the Ghana Health Service showed that new cases were also reported in the Western and Volta regions, which now become the ninth and tenth regions respectively to confirm cases of COVID-19.

Health authorities attribute the increasing number of cases to the ongoing enhanced surveillance exercise.

“As of 11 April 2020, 23:00 hrs, a total of 37,954 persons have been tested, with 566 being positive for COVID-19. The breakdown of the 566 positive cases are as follows: four (4) have been treated, discharged and tested negative, 552 cases have been categorised as mild disease on treatment, two (2) moderate to severe cases, none currently on ventilators and eight (8) have died,” the Ghana Health Service indicated on its website.

The website further indicated that, “Of the 566 confirmed COVID-19 cases, 292 were reported from the routine surveillance, 159 from enhanced surveillance activities and 115 from travellers under mandatory quarantine in both Accra and Tamale.”

Based on the data presented, there are currently more males infected with Coronavirus than females.

---citinewsroom