A Ghanaian man is being monitored in a facility in Tamale, after he was mistaken for a Guinean Covid-19 patient, who escaped quarantine in the Northern Regional capital.
The Regional Security Council and the Covid-19 medical team joint operation led to the arrest of the man in a village in the Kumbungu district following a tipoff — as the search for the 21-year-old Guinean patient, is ongoing.
Northern Regional Minister Salifu Saeed confirmed the development to journalists on Tuesday night.
He said the yet-to-be identified man who hails from the Upper West Region of Ghana, is yet to give full details about his identity.
“She [the Guinean patient] has not been recaptured yet; In fact a tipoff was given and immediately the Covid-19 medical team of the region together with REGSEC members went to a village under Kumbungu and only to realised that that was a different person and that person is a Ghanaian,” Saeed clarified.
“The community does not know where he came from. Because of his situation, he is also being quarantined and we have picked his samples so that they will check on him whether or not he is a carrier of the Coronavirus disease“, he stated.
Manhunt underway
The 21-year-old foreign national reportedly scaled a wall leaving behind her belongings on Monday, officials say.
The Guinean is one of 10 foreign nationals who tested positive of the novel Coronavirus after being intercepted by officials of the Ghana Immigration Service.
Northern Regional Minister, Saeed, who has described the incident as disturbing has ordered security agents to intensify search for the patient.
“Since yesterday, up till this morning, I have not slept, with my security people. I directed that they should use all their networks to be able to track the persona down and get her,” Mr. Saeed told journalists.
There were two police and two soldiers who were guarding the guest house where the infected persons were being monitored.
However, Mr. Saeed is urging calm amidst fears among Ghanaians.
Meanwhile, there is a serious manhunt is underway to recapture the patient.
When asked how the search is being conducted, the Northern Regional Security Council Chairman said he is in talks with security operatives to devise new strategies for the operation.
“I have just issued a warning to the general public that whoever is hording the lady should immediately make her available because she is carrying a deadly disease and anybody who is harbouring her should make her available”
“The Police and Immigration Service has her details and pictures and that is what they are working on. The security is also managing the situation so she wouldn’t be exposed to any attacks. So we will be meeting to devise new strategies to get the victim”, he stressed.
