Over 15,000 Covid-19 Test Results to Determine Lockdown Extension This Week – Prez Akufo-Addo

The president of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo says the country is entering a dire phase in its fight against the pandemic, as covid-19 test results from large number of contacts traced are being awaited.

The president in an address to the country today [ April 5, 2020] disclosed that the Ghana Health Service (GHS) is set to receive test results of 15,384 persons who were reached through contact tracing.

According to Akufo-Addo, the test results of these persons will inform the government’s decision later this week, on whether or not to extend the partial lockdown imposed on some parts of the country.

“The Ghana Health Service is due to receive the results of some 15,384 out of 19,276 persons who have been reached through contact tracing. It is the results of the tests that will determine our future course of action.”

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“So in the course of the coming week, a determination will be made as whether or not to extend the duration of the two-week restriction on movement, and the implementation or otherwise of any more enhanced measures to deal with the virus” he noted .

The President last week announced a two-week partial lockdown of the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area including Tema and Kasoa as well as the Greater Kumasi Metropolitan Area as parts of the effort to stop the spread of the viral disease in the country.

Meanwhile, President Akufo-Addo has extended by an additional two weeks, the closure of Ghana’s sea, land and air borders to rule out any possibility of imported COVID-19 cases.

The decision was among other reasons to also help the government enhance its contact tracing and testing efforts.