Two cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in Ghana, the Health Minister Kwaku Agyemang-Manu has announced. He made this known at an emergency press briefing by the Information Ministry on Thursday night.
The two cases according to the Health Minister, tested positive after laboratory tests from the Noguchi Memorial Institute of Medical Research.
The cases according to the Health Minister were reported as ‘imported cases’ as both individuals returned to Ghana from Norway and Turkey.
“Both individuals returned to Ghana from Norway and Turkey. So these are imported cases of COVID-19.”
Although the Minister did not disclose the identities of the two patients, sources say the Norwegian national, is a senior official at the Norwegian Embassy in Ghana, and the other a Turkish citizen.
“I wish to assure all Ghanaians that the Government of Ghana together with all health partners will continue to work assiduously to ensure the situation is contained. Both patients are currently being kept in isolation and are stable. We have initiated processes for contact tracing.”
“Both individuals returned to Ghana from Norway and Turkey; so these are imported cases of COVID-19,” a statement from the Health Ministry added.
The two are the first cases of the COVID-19 to test positive in Ghana after some 57 cases earlier proved negative.
The Health Ministry further cautioned Ghanaians to stick with the basic precautionary measures to ensure they do not get into contact with the virus.
From Libreville Gabon has confirmed their first case of coronavirus on Thursday, becoming the tenth country in sub-Saharan Africa to register positive cases.
The region has so far been less badly hit by coronavirus than Europe or China. Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Senegal, Cameroon, Togo, South Africa, Burkina Faso and Democratic Republic of Congo have also registered cases.
In a statement, Gabon’s government said its case was a 27-year-old Gabonese man who had returned from France on March 8.
