Akufo-Addo to engage political party leaders over Covid-19 crisis in Ghana

Ghanaian leader Akufo-Addo is expected to engage political party leaders today, as the country battles the deadly Covid-19 pandemic.

The meeting is to solicit measures to deal with the crisis which has so far killed five people and infected over 200 others.

President Akufo-Addo has already held discussions with members of the clergy, market women and transport operators and other stakeholders, to find ways of tackling the pandemic in the country.

Today’s meeting will, therefore, afford the President an opportunity to also explain some critical decisions taken by the government to stem the spread.

The President in his last address to the nation on Friday, March 27, had called for a frantic efforts to find a lasting solution to the pandemic devoid of partisan sentiments.

“The virus does not care which party you belong to, neither is it, as we have seen, a respecter of persons. The enemy is the virus and not each other”, the President admonished.

Ghana grabs $100m support from World Bank to fight Covid-19

The World Bank is providing $100 million to Ghana to assist the country in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic.

This $100 million will be made available to the government as short, medium and long-term support.

This financing package includes $35 million in emergency support to help the country provide improved response systems.

Under this emergency package, the World Bank will support the Government of Ghana to help prevent, detect, and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic through the Ghana Emergency Preparedness and Response Project (EPRP).

The EPRP will help strengthen Ghana’s National Laboratories by providing robust systems for the early detection of COVID-19 cases and providing real-time disease surveillance and reporting systems of outbreaks.

It will also improve response systems by providing social and financial support and free health services to COVID-19 patients and families who are isolated or quarantined.

Finally, the project will focus on risk communications and community engagement for increased awareness and compliance with prevention measures engaging the Ministry of Health, Ghana Health Service, Ministry of Information and other agencies.

“We are working with the government through this fast track facility to support the country’s efforts to slow transmission, prevent outbreaks and provide better-quality care for all patients, especially the seriously ill,” said World Bank Country Director, Pierre Laporte.

“It’s crucial that we all work together with other partners to help minimize the negative impact of the pandemic on health systems, social services and economic activities.”

In addition to the emergency facility, a $65 million contingency emergency response component was triggered from the Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development Project (GARID).

This contingency financing will support critical activities such as laboratory equipment and chemicals, essential medical equipment and supplies including test kits and Personal Protection Equipment.

Coronavirus: Confirmed global cases passes one million

More than a million cases of coronavirus have been registered globally, according to the latest figures from Johns Hopkins University – another grim milestone as the world grapples with the spreading pandemic.

Nearly 53,000 people have died and more than 210,000 have recovered, according to the US university’s figures.

The US has the most cases, and more than 1,000 died there in the past day.

The disease, Covid-19, first emerged in central China three months ago.

Though the tally kept by Johns Hopkins records one million confirmed cases, the actual number is thought to be much higher.

It took a month and a half for the first 100,000 cases to be registered. A million was reached after a doubling in cases over the past week.

Nearly a quarter of cases have been registered in the United States, while Europe accounts for around half.

By Jonathan Ofori, Daily Mail GH