Ghana’s Ambassador to the United States of America (USA) H.E. Baffour Adjei Bawuah has disclosed that rappers D- Black and Sarkodie are not in USA

Speaking to Serwaa Amihere on GhOne Tv he revealed that both rappers Desmond Blackmore (D- Black) and Michael Owusu Addo (Sarkodie) are not in USA and as such they are not part of the Ghanaian nationals in the USA who have expressed interest in returning home.

Recent reports claimed that rapper Sarkodie was returning from Spain before he got stuck in USA after Ghana’s borders were closed on Sunday March 22, 2020 due to the outbreak of the Covid-19.

Dr. Baffour disclosed that per his confidential checks, Sarkodie is rather in Europe and not USA. According to him, about 300 Ghanaians in the USA have expressed interest in returning home on the government’s chartered flight.

He further stated that about 33 Ghanaians in New York City alone have died from the Covid-19 with an unidentified number living with the virus.

Ghana has recorded a total of three thousand and ninety one confirmed Covid-19 cases with three hundred and three recoveries.

The number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in Ghana has reached three thousand as it stands now. As of Monday 4th May 2020 the confirmed cases were two thousand, seven hundred and nineteen. Within three days the numbers has increased to three thousand and ninety one cases.

The Bono Region is the latest to join a host of regions in the country to record its first case of Covid-19 in the Jaman North District.

Below is an update of Regions with confirmed cases and the number of cases recorded.

The number of recoveries has increased from two hundred and ninety four to three hundred and three which is a plus. The number of deaths still stands at eighteen which is also a plus for the country with regards to the current confirmed cases.

The Korle Bu Covid-19 Treatment center has successfully recorded 100% Covid-19 recoveries.

In a press release on Monday 4th May, the Hospital announced their success in treating Seven patients suffering from the Corona virus.
The patients were from the Korle Bu and Bolgatanga Regional hospital. The patients were discharged after several confirmatory test results came out negative. Below is the detailed information from the press release.

Having successfully treated and discharged seven patients suffering from the virus is good news putting into consideration the number of positive cases recorded recently. It is also a plus for the country with regards to the number of recoveries recorded so far.

Korle Bu Teaching hospital is a world class center for the treatment of many known diseases. It is one of the major hospital centers in Ghana doing it’s ultimate best in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.

Ghana has recorded two thousand Seven hundred and nineteen positive cases so far with two hundred and ninety four recoveries and eighteen deaths.

Co- founder of the Ghana Center for Democratic Development Professor Baffour Agyemang Duah says lifting of the lockdown is the most difficult decision any leader could make.

In an interview with Lantam Papanko on GHone TV’s state of affairs he said “ this is the most difficult decision any Leader anywhere can make”.

Professor Agyemang Duah emphasized on the fact that else where certain leaders are finding it difficult in making relevant decisions with regards to the Lockdown. He said “ If you monitor around the world, the United State in particular and see how their President and the state government, and other constituencies, how they are still struggling to make certain basic decisions concerning the lockdown then you can as well imagine that our case is not as simple as perhaps we put it”.

A lot of Ghanaians are not in support with the President decision to lift the lockdown putting into consideration the number of positive Coronavirus cases recorded so far in the country.

Professor Agyemang Duah believes the President made the right call because a lot of things where put into consideration before the President made the announcement. “ Any President making a decision has to put so many things into consideration. Based on the signs and the data that we have collected, and based on experts advice I think the country is ready to somehow lift partially in this case with human movements, so people can begin to get back a little to their economic life”.

According to the Professor, the pandemic is challenging leadership across the world. The Covid-19 pandemic has created a situation where people can differentiate between good leaders from those who are not. “ If you look around the world, where government have been making all efforts to contain this pandemic, you will see the weak leaders and so as the effective ones. There are certain places where there is complete chaos in terms of even simple decisions on procuring masks and all”.

This Statement by the Professor came after the President announced the lifting of the lockdown in his 7th Address to the Nation.

It is quite absurd to say the current government led by his Excellency President Nana Akufo-Addo has approved the recommendation of the minority, National Democratic Congress (NDC).

But with regards to the President 6th Address to the Nation where he announced the measures put in place to absorb electricity bills for the next three months makes it quite understandable.

Fews days before the President’s Address, the National Democratic Congress communication director Samuel Gyamfi in an interview on GhOne TV made it known to public the recommendation by the NDC and former President John Dramani Mahama to allow Ghanaians to enjoy free electricity within this period of Covid-19.

He said “ If his Excellency John Dramani Mahama was the President of Ghana, all Ghanaians would have been enjoying free electricity by now”. For the NDC and especially His Excellency President John Dramani Mahama this recommendation is non negotiable. There should not be any contestation about it. People are living in the house, they are consuming more electricity and yet they are not working. How do we expect them to pay for electricity bills? These are not normal times”.

It is therefore quite surprising that few days after this statement by the NDC communication Director the government had decided to use the same measures recommended by the NDC.

With the way things turned out, that is the NDC making recommendation that the government should absorb electricity bills in addition to the water bills which the government has already done and the fact that the government has decided to absorb the electricity bills is a clear indication that it has approved these recommendation by the minority.

These are not ordinary times and the fact that the minority and the government are putting heads together towards a common course says a lot. We need one another in these difficult times.

We can only progress together as a country when we are united. I hope this is the first of many to come when the government will put aside political rivalries and rather focus on considering the ideas and suggestions of oppositions for a better Ghana. This is what we need as a country to push forward.

National Democratic Congress Communication Director Sammy Gyamfi says Mahama would have provided free electricity for Ghanaians during lockdown

In an interview with Nana Aba Anamoah on GhOne Tv’s State of Affairs he said “ If his Excellency John Dramani Mahama was the President of Ghana, all Ghanaians would have been enjoying free electricity by now”.

According to the NDC communication director under the leadership of Former president John Dramani Mahama this recommendation would have been non negotiable.

“For the NDC and especially his Excellency John Dramani Mahama the recommendation for free electricity is non negotiable”. He said.

Mr. Gyamfi emphasized on the fact that people living in the house are using more electricity and yet they are not working therefore paying electricity bill will be very difficult.

“There should not be any contestation about it”. People are living in the house, they are consuming more electricity and yet they are not working, how do we expect them to pay for electricity? These are not normal times” He said

This reaction by the NDC came after the President Nana Akuffo Addo announced on Sunday 5th April 2020 that Ghanaians will enjoy free water for the next three months without paying due to the lockdown.

A medical doctor at the LEKMA hospital in Teshie has tested positive for corona virus

According to Ledzokuku Constituency Legislator Mr. Bernard Oko-Boye the Ghana health services has already accounted for the unnamed doctor in the number of cases recorded in Ghana.

The unnamed doctor is reported to have attended to several pregnant women. Meanwhile it is alleged that he operated on one of the pregnant women before testing positive to the corona virus.

Mr. Oko-Boye further disclosed that LEKMA hospital will be closed down for disinfection on Tuesday 31 March 2020.

Ghana has so far recorded 153 corona virus cases, with 5 deaths and 2 recoveries.

The National Media Commission (NMC) has warned media practitioners against making jokes with Covid-19

The commission, in their bid to reduce public anxiety and provide hope in the moment of uneasiness has cautioned media practitioner against making jokes with the virus.

According to the commission humor may lead to the reduction of anxiety in these stressful moments but it can also carry the risk of minimizing the sense of seriousness, leading to complacency in public response. In a statement signed by George Sarpong, Executive Secretary of the NMC.

However the NMC noted that since the outbreak of the coronavirus and the President’s preventive measures to protect the country, the media has shown commendable support for the national cause and justified why the constitution (1992) gave the media a pride of place.

The media is doing it best in creating awareness and also educating the general public about the coronavirus, its symptoms and the precautionary measures to take against the virus by professionals, Doctors and experts.

Media practitioners are therefore urged to bear in mind that balance still remained their greatest professional virtue, saying the best way to achieve that was to rely on official sources for accurate information about the global pandemic.

The first two cases was recorded in Ghana on Thursday March 12. And has now recorded a total of eleven cases.

Medical Doctor Abigail Omane has encouraged Ghanaians on the measures to take in order to boost their immune system against the deadly corona virus.

In an interview with Berla Mundi on Tv3 health segment she said “I advise we eat fruits which are rich in vitamin C, Zinc and Vitamin E”. “Zinc is needed by the cells to fight infections, Oranges, lemon, apples are rich in vitamin C which helps to boost the immune system”. Ginger has protective effect on the heart too”.

With recent report suggesting that individuals with strong immune system can fight the virus or at least sustain it, she further emphasized on the fact that exercise is vital when it comes to getting a strong immune system.

“Exercise helps to release stress which is good for boosting the immune system”. Exercising three times a week is adequate for the immune system”. She said.

Research shows that older people are likely to die from the virus due to weaker or decline immune system than the young ones who have strong immune system.

Dr. Omane advised against the excessive intake of food supplements. “Don’t take it in excess, you need to consult a doctor in order to get the right dose”. Food supplements are good for older people”.

“People aged 60 and above usually have declined immune system”. As we grow our immune system declines especially people with diabetes and heart diseases making it easy to get these infections and therefore these food supplements helps in sustaining and keep them put”. She added.

Covid-19 is a deadly virus which has become a pandemic in the world. The virus has claimed Millions of lives worldwide. Ghana has recorded 11 cases so far with no death. Doctors and Professionals are educating the world on the precautions to take in order to avoid the virus. This Virus has taken the world by surprise.

Upper West Regional Director of Health Service Doctor Osei Kuffuor Afreh has expressed concerns about the outbreak of meningitis which led to the death of eighteen people in the region.

Speaking in an interview on Joynews he said “We are dealing with cases of meningitis and looking at the environmental conditions we find in the upper west region, around this time of the year is dry and is very hazy and dusty”. Also the temperatures are very high”. These environmental conditions predisposes people here to getting meningitis”.

According to Doctor Afreh since the turn of the year, the region has recorded about one hundred and thirty seven cases compared to last year. “Last year by this time we have recorded more than one hundred and eighty cases, now we have recorded about hundred and thirty cases meaning the figures are coming down but it still high”. He added.

“We have recorded some deaths which is not very good because we expect that as people are diseased obviously they should be healed and if we had treatment protocols for the disease”. So far we have recorded about eighteen deaths which is quite high” He said.

Doctor Afreh emphasized on the fact that most of these deaths are caused by patients reporting late to the hospital and some of the patients have underline diseases like HIV/Aids and Tuberculosis.

“Some patients were brought to us unconscious, some terminally ill, they virtually could not eat and we needed to make sure to step up our game to make sure they survive but unfortunately because they came in late it was very difficult for us to revive them” The biggest challenge from our analysis is that because the whole country is singing Covid-19, people attention has been diverted from meningitis which is even more violent than the Covid-19 we are talking about” He said.

He therefore urged the media to help in creating awareness and also to educate the public on the precautionary measures in avoiding meningitis. Educating the public about the sign and symptoms that will show for them to know that they are having meningitis.

Meningitis is a serious disease in which there is inflammation of the meninges caused by bacterial infection, and marked by intense headache and fever, sensitivity to light and muscular rigidity.