President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has placed a temporary ban on foreign travels by appointees in the wake of the increasing cases of the novel coronavirus in parts of the world including some countries in West Africa.
A letter issued and signed by the Chief of Staff Akosua Frema Osei-Opare, conveying the latest directive and sighted by adwoaadubianews.com reads “As part of measures to prevent the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in Ghana, His Excellency the President of the Republic has directed that all foreign travels by public officials/officers should be temporarily suspended. Only critical travels will be considered. This directive together with the other measures being put in place by Government is intended, to protect (he general public from contracting the virus. Pease note and ensure compliance. Thanks and counting on your usual co-operation”
The directive comes at a time Ghana’s neighbor Burkina Faso has confirmed its first two cases of the novel coronavirus, according to the local media.
The two patients are a couple, the wife having recently returned from France, a report said, quoting Health Minister Claudine Lougue.
Lougue added that the patients were quarantined in a local hospital in the capital Ouagadougou.
A third person who was in close contact with the couple is under observation, according to the report.
At least 109,578 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus, officially known as COVID-19, have been reported worldwide as of Monday, an increase of 3,994 infections from the previous day, according to a coronavirus update released by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Of the 3,994 new infections, 3,949 were outside China, according to the WHO.
Besides Burkina Faso, Bangladesh, Albania and Paraguay reported cases of COVID-19 for the first time as of Monday, bringing the total number of countries and regions affected by the coronavirus to around 105.
Burkina Faso has become the latest African country to report coronavirus cases after Cameroon, Senegal, South Africa, Nigeria, Algeria, Togo and Egypt, which on Sunday reported the first coronavirus fatality on the content.
Meanwhile over 30 cases in Ghana have proved negative according Director of Public Health at the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr Badu Sarkodie.
Dr Badu Sarkodie assured that the country’s points of entry are under constant surveillance to curb the infiltration of the disease;
