On Tuesday, 7th April, 2020, I engaged the leadership of the Ghana Medical Association, at Jubilee House, the seat of the nation’s presidency, on the enhanced measures being taken by Government to combat the spread of the Coronavirus pandemic.

On the occasion of World Health Day, I also extended the appreciation of the nation to members of the Association, and, indeed, to all health workers across the country, for the continued sacrifices they are making in caring for those infected with the virus, and in caring for the sick in general.

Source: Ministry of Information website

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Hundreds of African residents and businessmen in China’s southern city of Guangzhou have been evicted from hotels and apartments as local health officials rollout a testing campaign for COVID-19, community leaders have told the BBC.

Those evicted say they are being discriminated against.

“They are accusing us of having the virus,” said Tobenna Victor, a Nigerian student in Guangzhou.

“We paid rent to them and after collecting rent they chased us out of the house. Since last night we have been sleeping outside.”

Businessman Lunde Okulunge Isidore, from the Democratic Republic of Congo, said: “They came to my house. They told me to wait after 24 hours for the result, [but] after 24 hours nobody contacted me.”

Some residents have told the BBC that they have been evicted from their apartments, others say that they have been put into forced quarantine without knowing the results of their tests.

On Tuesday, Chinese officials denied online rumours that the virus was spreading in African communities and that parts of the city where Africans reside were under lockdown.

Guangzhou is home to one of China’s largest African communities and has become a hub for African traders buying and selling goods to the continent.

There are rising concerns in China over the increase in the number of imported COVID-19 cases, which authorities fear could fuel a second outbreak.

Since March, Guangzhou has required people arriving from abroad to be quarantined for 14 days.

Source: BBC

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In line with Absa Bank Ghana’s Education and Skills Development programme under its Force for Good agenda, the bank is offering educational support to tertiary students through its free online learning platform, ReadytoWork, as they stay home due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

This is to help tertiary students make the best use of the break, enhance their knowledge and prepare for the world of work even as they stay at home during the COVID-19 period.

The bank has upgraded the ReadytoWork web portal curriculum to enhance students learning experience as they go through the four modules of the programme namely Work, People, Money and Entrepreneurial Skills.

The ReadytoWork programme is Absa Bank Ghana’s flagship digital learning curriculum initiative that helps to prepare young people for the transition from school to the world of work.

It empowers young people with the skills they need to enhance their employment or self-employment prospects.

Commenting on the initiative, the Marketing and Corporate Relations Director at Absa Bank Ghana, Nana Essilfuah Boison said “As students stay home until COVID-19 is contained, the bank is using this period to keep students productive and prepare them for the future through our ReadyToWork online learning platform. This programme will give students insight into contemporary competencies employers expect from new hires as well as develop their skills to become either successful entrepreneurs or employees.”

Students can sign up to www.readytowork.absa.africa to register. Every signed-up student who completes the learning modules within one month will be given free data.

The ReadytoWork is an online soft skills programme developed by Absa to prepare the youth for the world of work and includes topics such as Leadership, Entrepreneurship, Emotional Intelligence, Agility, CV Writing, Financial Literacy and Team Work.

Source: Absa Bank Ghana

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The Private Newspaper Publishers Association of Ghana (PRINPAG) is demanding some commitment from government since the association is also engaged in informing Ghanaians about key issues and other developments in the country as far as COVID-19 is concerned. The association would also want some incentives or its frontline staff as they are also key in pointing out issues and disseminating of information to the Ghanaian population.

“On my part and on the part of government, we will continue to see what we can do to meet you halfway, ease the issues that you have. I think you heard my broadcast the other day, I indicated the measures that we want to put in place to support you in the work that you are doing,” Akufo-Addo noted.

At a press briefing with the Ghana Journalist Association and Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA), President of PRINPAG, Edwin Arthur advised that a fund is set aside to cater for media professionals during this period

“All media practitioners who have been lending support to the national effort also as front liners in the fight against the spread of the virus and in this sense, we expect to be elevated to that status for the purpose in the ensuing argument. Apart from our frontline role in educating the general populace on the dangers associated with COVID-19 and the need to observe critically all the safety measures and protocols most of us have come into direct contact with carriers and Coronavirus patients.”

“Interviewing them as well as doctors who have been treating these patients in all our attempts to bring to our various stakeholders, credible and reliable information on the pandemic. This, we see as a critical duty in line with the constitutional mandate as the fourth estate on the realm. By providing adequate information on the pandemic, thus exposing us to the same risk, our health workers are also exposed to. This being the case, PRINPAG urges the government and corporate institutions, to consider frontline media practitioners in the provision of PPE to enable us to arm ourselves adequately to lend support to other stakeholders in our collective fight against the spread of the virus.”

President of the Ghana Journalist Association (GJA) Roland Affail Monney said government should also provide free bus ride for journalists as they are also frontline workers.

He also said media houses should not be left out of the 1 billion stimulus package since most media houses are struggling to pay salaries.

“Media houses should be considered in the stimulus package. Provision of PPE and transport for journalists by way of Aayalolo buses and other means should be given a top most priority. We commend them highly for their frontline role. Ghana will surely win this fight.”

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Much concerns have been raised by Ghanaians and especially health workers after the President in his previous speech during his address to the nation stated that some incentives would be given to frontline health workers. But it seems this did not go well with some other health workers.

During the recent meeting between the Ghana Medical association and the President, such concerns were being raised but the President insisted that a clear definition would be given for persons who qualify as frontline workers

“Effort is being made on the part of the government, to arrive at an acceptable definition, and I think your input will be very necessary and required, so that we get a definition that makes sense for everybody and which addresses the issue of people who are also in the frontline, as it were, of dealing with this disease,” President Akufo-Addo said.

The president said Health workers would be supported as they work for the state during the time

“On my part and on the part of government, we will continue to see what we can do to meet you halfway, ease the issues that you have. I think you heard my broadcast the other day, I indicated the measures that we want to put in place to support you in the work that you are doing. Buses for nurses and health workers have started plying the streets of Accra, the allowances that are going to be paid to health workers are being worked out by the Finance Minister, and, very soon, in the course of this month the first payments are going to be made,” he said.

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Two workers at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital have tested positive for Coronavirus.

The two are a nurse and a doctor who work at the Department of Medicine and Department of Child Health respectively, an internal communique sighted by Citi News indicated.

They are currently responding to treatment as they are being taken care of at the hospital

“We wish to inform staff we are working to establish the primary source of the infections. Staff are therefore entreated to remain calm and follow the basic hygiene protocols.”

“Management is committed to ensuring that all staff are safe and protected. As we distribute PPEs to all departments, measures are far advanced to procure adequate protective gears for all staff,” the communique added.

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The Accra Psychiatric Hospital has confirmed a positive covid-19 patient. The patient developed symptoms of the virus after she was admitted to the acute care ward of the government-run hospital on April 20, 2020. However, the Dailymailg.com has revealed that the national treatment center in Accra has refused to admit her because of her mental status.

Within some few days after the patient developed covid-19 symptoms at the hospital facility, she was transferred to the isolation unit on 23^rd April and her status confirmed on April 27. But municipal authorities who are to ensure she is sent to the covid-19 treatment center said she was denied access because she is a mental health patient.

As at now, 87 staff and patients who came into contact with the woman have been asked to self-isolate as they await their test results.

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The government of Ghana through the Information Minister today updated the public on what the enhanced testing actually means which most Ghanaians for some days now have referred to as compulsory testing.

According to the Information Minister, the enhanced testing would be done in areas and instances where it is believed people have come in contact with COVID-19 positive patients. This process has two parts:

1. “There are those who fall within the basket of what is called contact tracing and testing. They are the persons who we know have come into contact with positive cases

There is a second cohort of that contact tracing and testing that is made up of persons who came into the country and Ghanaian jurisdiction within the particular period since Ghana started recording positive cases. These are the persons that primarily we seek to trace and test. And already, engagements have started on how they can make themselves available or the testing while they have been traced. Teams have been trained across regions in the country who are doing that.

2. In the hotspot areas there are some neighborhoods in which the Ghana Health Service and the surveillance team desires to do some more active surveillance. What that means is that they would visit homes and have conversations with people who have developed temperatures or persons who believe they have symptoms or want to test. This program will allow us go to the neighborhoods in the hotspot areas with some community engagements so that persons at risk are tested. Hence it is not compulsory but rather just some people who after some engagements with them believe they have been exposed to some positive patients would be tested.”

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As part of Government’s efforts against CODIV-19, the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection with support from the Finance Ministry, NADMO and other cooperate agencies would be supporting the vulnerable and the needy including the mentally ill and Persons with Disability.

According to the Ministry, there would be places to house those living on the street for the next two weeks during the lockdown period and beyond when necessary. According to the Minister 15,000 of them would be catered for and logistics provided for those in rented apartments to prevent them from going to town.

There would be enough food and water. Cooperate bodies are also supporting by cooking for about 10000 needy people. Food will also be sent to people on the street like the mentally retarded people where 20 of them will be picked and kept clean and while others are given food and water twice every day. Besides 10,435 persons with disability would also be attended to.

These vulnerable people will not only be fed but would also be taught personal hygiene and social distancing where 15000 sanitizers, soap, water and veronica buckets will be provided on their compounds.

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The minister for Gender, Children and Social protection while address Ghanaians today mention that the   Ministry of Gender and Social protection has come up with mitigating measures to safeguard the health and wellbeing of the vulnerable groups in Ghana amidst the corona virus pandemic and subsequent lockdown of the affected areas of Ghana that is Kumasi, Accra, Tema and Kasoa.

In order to execute this task, a meeting was held with NADMO and Ministry of Finance where the Kayaye data was updated. This was done by visiting various market centers and places where the Kayaye lived with their leaders as well as those living on the street and those at rented places.

There would be places to house those living on the street for the next two weeks during the lockdown period. According to the Minister 15,000 of them would be catered for and logistics provided for those in rented apartments to prevent them from going to town.

There would be enough food and water. Cooperate bodies are also supporting by cooking for about 10000 needy people. Food will also be sent to people on the street like the mentally retarded people where 20 will be picked and kept clean and others that would be given food and water twice every day.

These vulnerable people will not only be fed but would also be taught personal hygiene and social distancing where 15000 sanitizers, soap, water and veronica buckets will be provided on their compounds.

Emphasis was made on the fact that some of these people were able to live to their various home in other regions and that it why it was necessary to visit and know those that have been left behind where they would be registered and given identity.

then also the younger ones would be separated from the older ones where the younger ones would be made to return home and school since education in Ghana is free now. Then also some would be groom to have some skills when they return to their various regions.

Some places in Accra where foods would be sent to are Madina, Nima, Agbogbloshie, Circle, Pig farm, Aladjo, Accra new town, Mamobi exactly where they were found and some areas in the Ashanti region.

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