My husband is on self-quarantine, we leave food at the door for him - Ursula

The Minister of Communications, Mrs Ursula Owusu Ekuful has revealed that her husband, who recently returned from a trip to the United Kingdom to Ghana has quarantined himself as part of measures to help prevent the spread of the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

She said they serve him food by leaving it at the door to the room he is in isolation.

In an interview with the media in Parliament Thursday afternoon [March 19, 2020], Mrs Owusu Ekuful said the husband was in a room in their house and is not having contact with anyone in the house.

"They leave his food at the door. If we want to talk to him, we stand at a safe distance away and talk to him, we wave him, he's okay," Mrs Owusu Ekuful said.

The outspoken lawyer is married to UK-based opthalmologist, Dr Samuel Owusu Ekuful.

Mrs Owusu Ekuful's revelation followed a directive by the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, that two Members of Parliament who travelled outside Ghana to stay away from Parliament until after they have exhausted the voluntary self-isolation for two weeks to help prevent the spread of the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Ghana.

Read also: Two MPs and some staff of Parliament asked to self quarantine to prevent Coronavirus spread

Mrs Owusu Ekuful said, "my own husband returned from the UK two days ago and as soon as he came from the airport, the UK is suffering from all that and in the nature of his job, he examines people closely in their eyes and so he may unwittingly have come unto contact with this virus. We are not saying that he does, but on the side of caution, he is in self-isolation, even though he hasn't seen his family for a few weeks but he is in self-isolation."

"And as soon as he came from the airport, he went straight to the room which had been prepared for him, he has everything there, he is not having any contact at all with anybody in the house, we leave his food at the door. If we want to talk to him, we stand at the door, a safe distance away from him and talk to him. We wave him, he is okay, he has his computer, he is watching television, he has his phone so he is keeping himself busy and doing the stuff that he needs to do without having physical contact with anybody in the house... if in case he has been infected and we hope that nothing of that has happened but we wouldn't know,...whether he has been infected or not," she said.

Related: I would not have been married but for Skype - Ursula Owusu-Ekuful

Graphic Online's reporter in Parliament, Nana Konadu Agyeman reported that the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, on Thursday directed that two Members of Parliament who travelled outside Ghana should stay away from Parliament until after they have exhausted the voluntary self-isolation for two weeks to help prevent the spread of the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

He stated that while those legislators had been given a certificate of clearance to travel back into Ghana, they should “stay away from the House for the period of purging before they come here [Parliament].”

He also directed that such measures should be equally applied to other staff of Parliament and their spouses who also travelled and were yet to arrive in Ghana.

“Because of what is happening, it is important we make it known to colleagues who have travelled outside that on their return they are not welcomed here,” he stated.

The Majority Leader made the call when he moved a motion for the House to be suspended Thursday.

He named the MP for Binduri, Dr Robert Baba Kuganab-Lem, who had just arrived in Ghana by Ethiopian Airways from Tokyo and the MP for Ayawaso East, Mr Naser Toure Mahama, who would be coming back to Ghana from India via Emirates, saying that “Information should go to him.”

He mentioned the names of the staff of Parliament as Mr Joseph Ekow Acquah, who went to Nigerian, Mr Amoako Asante Atta from Niamey, Niger, Ms Florence Bedford, Mr Abdul Fataou Alhassan, Ms Emelia Sawyer and Ms Stella Bonney.

“Mr Speaker, the advice is that these people should stay outside for the time being. They have been given a certificate of clearance to come back but it is important that we communicate certainly to them,” he stated.

Writer's email: enoch.frimpong@graphic.com.gh 

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