#Coronavirus cases in Ghana rise to 19

The Ghana Health Service is reporting 19 confirmed cases of the coronavirus disease in Ghana, from Friday's 16 cases. 

Dr. Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, Director General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), confirmed the new development on live radio in Accra, indicating also that the cases could be higher than the 19.

He however told his host, Samson Lardi Anyenini, on Joy FM's Newsfile programme, that details of the latest confirmation, apart from they being imported cases, are still being processed.

In the sub-region and particularly Ghana's immediate neighbours, only Nigeria appears to have stemmed the spread, maintaining its confirmed cases at 12. Togo has 9 cases, Burkina Faso 40 with one death, Cote d'Ivoire at 9 and Benin at 2.

The global situation relative to deaths continue to rise, with the toll as at 10am Saturday at from Friday morning's 10,048.

Details from the Ghana Health Service’s website confirmed the latest development.

According to the GHS, the three cases were confirmed on Friday March 20, 2020.

The GHS said two of the cases were reported from Greater Accra Region and one from Ashanti Region.

The carriers includes a 55-year-old Ghanaian woman; resident of the UK who returned to Ghana within two weeks.

The second victim is an 84-year-old Ghanaian woman who is a resident of the United Kingdom but came back to Ghana within the past two weeks and a 27-year-old Chinese man who came to Ghana

“This brings to a total of nineteen (19) confirmed cases in Ghana, with no death. Contact tracing has started in all these confirmed cases”.

Below is a copy of the update from the Ghana Health Service (GHS):

Confirmed Cases Of COVID-19 In Ghana Rises To Nineteen (19) As At 21 March 2020 - 09:40GMT

Three (3) new COVID-19 cases confirmed on the 20th March 2020. Two were reported from Greater Accra Region and one from Ashanti Region.

1. 55-year-old Ghanaian woman; resident of the UK; returned to Ghana within two weeks; sample confirmed positive in the laboratory

2. 84-year-old Ghanaian lady resident of the United Kingdom; came back to Ghana within the past two (2) weeks; developed symptoms and sample confirmed positive in the laboratory

3. 27-year-old Chinese male; returned to Ghana (Ashanti Region) in the past two weeks; developed symptoms and sample confirmed positive in the laboratory.

This brings to a total of nineteen (19) confirmed cases in Ghana, with no death. Contact tracing has started in all these confirmed cases.