The Ashanti Regional Health Director, Dr. Emmanuel Tenkorang has pronounced that COVID-19 patients in the Region cannot be stigmatized for the reason that it derails the effort of the Health Ministry in curbing the novel virus.

He added that those who have not been observing the social distance directive are more dangerous than people who have been restrained for testing positive hence the need to respect the various preventive measures made known by the Ghana Health Service.

“I am appealing to the community that COVID-19 patients cannot be stigmatized at all. Those who are not observing the social distancing are more dangerous than those whom COVID-19 has been confirmed on them," he said.

"Those walking around that have not been confirmed go to beaches, chase food and do other things. There is no need to fear COVID-19. The most important thing is to abide by the rules and regulations, i.e. Hand washing, social distancing, the use of sanitizers and making sure that you observe cough etiquette and personal hygiene,” he added.

Monday, April 13, 2020 marked a month since the first case of COVID-19 was confirmed in the Ashanti Region. The Region as at Tuesday, April 14, 2020 has recorded 53 cases with three deaths.

According to the Health Directorate at a press conference in Kumasi on Tuesday, April 14, 2020, the 139 confirmed cases as being circulated  on social media is fabricated and citizens should not adhere to such information.

Three people are confirmed to have recovered with eight currently on admission.

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The Regional Health Directorate updated that so far, 13,199 samples have been taken for investigations at KCCR with the details shown below;

Routine Surveillance:      488

Community Screening    10,853

Travelers on Manifest:   1,233

Contacts of Confirmed cases: 625

Dr. Emmanuel Tenkorang further encouraged people with facility for accommodation to come to the aid of the directorate and by giving out their resource to house patients. He assured that the availability of quarantine facilities avoids others from being infected.

“Once people become positive, it is likely that they may transmit the infection to people around. We will need to house them and bring them to a residential accommodation that is befitting and feed them, so that we observe them and after 14 days, release them if they have no problem.

“We want to assure that, when you give your facility out for this, it will rather help prevent infection and there is no stigma at all with the building it will only go out to support the fight so nobody should fear of giving his facility for the fight,” he said.

340 out of the 722 listed contacts have completed the 14-dat follow as individuals continue to donate toward the COVID19 fund.

The country's covid-19 case count still stands at 566 with 8 deaths.

The Greater Accra Region has the most cases with 452; the Ashanti Region, 49; Eastern Region, 32; Northern Region, 10; Volta Region, nine; Upper West Region, seven; Upper East Region, four; North East Region, one; Western Region, one and the Central Region with one.