President of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo has not tested positive for the Coronavirus disease (Covid-19) as being rumoured by some Ghanaians.

This is according to the Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah.

Giving updates on Ghana’s confirmed covid-19 cases in a press conference on Wednesday, March 18, 2020, the Minister cautioned the public against the publication of false information on the issue.

It was earlier speculated by popular social commentator, Kelvin Ebo Taylor that the president had contracted the disease as allegedly confirmed by a source close to the government seat.

A lot of media platforms, after Kelvin Taylor’s allegations continually disseminated texts on the possibility that the President had contracted covid-19 due to his travels abroad amidst the outbreak.

But Kojo Oppong Nkrumah said the information is false.

READ ALSO:

COVID-19: Ghana shoots it number to 9

“There are those who even in these trying times take delight in fabricating stories and throwing them out there on social media sometimes for political purposes and sometimes for humour. We would want to discourage that as much as possible. There are stories going around that the President and some ministers have tested positive [for Coronavirus].

You have seen it on social media. It is not true,” he said.

The Information Minister further advised persons with media platforms to help share information relevant to stopping the spread of the virus.

“We will like to encourage that if you have access to a platform, use it to encourage compliance with preventive etiquettes so that we can save as many lives as possible,” he said.

Rumours of President Akufo-Addo testing positive for the virus were rife after the government announced that one of the first two confirmed cases of the virus in the country was of a Norwegian who was a top official of the Norwegian Embassy in Ghana.

At the time, President Akufo-Addo had returned from Norway as part of an official visit to the Scandinavian country in the last week of February 2020.

According to a statement from the presidency, the President was accompanied by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Shirley Ayorkor Botchway, MP; Minister for Education, Dr.

Matthew Opoku Prempeh, MP; and officials of the Presidency and Foreign Ministry on that trip.