COVID-19 pandemic in Ghana

In this month there were the earliest confirmed cases, response from the Government of Ghana as well as bans and restrictions

Greater Accra, Ashanti and Upper West regions recorded cases in March. At an emergency press briefing on 12 March 2020 Health Minister Kwaku Agyemang-Manu announced Ghana's first two confirmed cases (in Accra) . The two cases were people who returned to the country from Norway and Turkey which made them the first actual cases of COVID-19 in Ghana. These two cases began the first contact tracing process in Ghana. Of the first two cases reported in Ghana, one case was a senior officer at the Norwegian Embassy in Ghana who had returned from Norway, while the other was a staff member at the United Nations (UN) offices in Ghana who had returned from Turkey.[2][4][5]

Ghana's president Nana Akufo-Addo began delivering a series of state of the nation addresses concerning COVID-19 in March by announcing that the cedi equivalent of US$100 million would be made available to enhance Ghana's coronavirus preparedness and response plan.[6]

Initially the Government of Ghana banned all public gatherings including conferences, workshops, funerals, festivals, political rallies, church activities and other related events to reduce the spread of the virus. Beaches were also closed. Basic schools, senior high schools and universities, both public and private, were also closed. Only BECE and WASSCE candidates were permitted to remain in school under social distancing protocols.[7][8]

Traveling to Ghana from countries which had recorded over 200 positive COVID-19 cases was strongly discouraged with non-admittance of such travellers; this restriction did not however apply to Ghanaian citizens and people with resident permits.[9]

All of the country's borders were later closed for two weeks from midnight of Sunday 22 March 2020. Passport services were also suspended.[10]

On 30 March, the partial lock down of Accra and Kumasi took effect.[11] Members of the Executive, Legislature and the Judiciary; and some services such as those that were involved in the production, distribution and marketing of food, beverages, pharmaceuticals, medicine, paper and plastic packages, media and telecommunications were exempted from the restrictions.[12][13]

The Local Government Minister announces the disinfection of 137 markets in the Greater Accra Region.[14]

On 26 March, 64 new cases were recorded increasing Ghana's case count to 132.[15] On the same day, a letter written and signed by the Director General of the Ghana Health Service recalled all staff on study leave into active service. This was to help accommodate the workload on health centres. A special life insurance cover for the professionals at the frontline dealing with the pandemic, was announced by the Ghana Health Ministry. The workers were insured under Group Life cover, with an assured sum of GHC 350,000 on each life.[16][17]

For details see Timeline of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ghana.

During the month of April cases increased to 2,074 at the end of the month. Cases were confirmed in most of the regions of Ghana, with some coming from those entering via unapproved routes along the Ghana-Togo border.[18]

There were several disinfection exercises of markets in the Northern, North East and Savannah regions as well as the Eastern Region.[19] The Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development teamed up with Moderpest Company and Zoomlion Ghana for the exercise.[20]

At a press briefing, the Director General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), announced the commencement of local production of nose masks as part of efforts to arrest the spread of the pandemic.[21]

The Ghana Education Service and Zoomlion Ghana Limited also joined forces to launch an initiative to fumigate all senior high, special and technical schools in the country to curb the spread of the pandemic.[22]

The border closure was extended by the president, for another two week effective midnight of Sunday 5 April 2020.[23]

Wearing of face masks made mandatory

Mandatory use of masks was to be enforced by businesses and organizations.[24]

For details see Timeline of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ghana.

The hotspots identified were in the Greater Accra, Ashanti and Central Regions. In Greater Accra, the Tema Metropolitan, Accra Metropolitan, Klottey Korle and Kpong Katamanso districts recorded the highest tallies with Tema taking the top position,followed by the Ablekuma, Okaikwei South and North, Ashiaman and Adenta areas as well as the Ga Central townships. In the Ashanti Region, Obuasi had the highest figures followed by Kumasi, Oforikrom, and Nkawie. Other areas were Old Tafo, Asokwa, Kumasi Municipal, Kumasi Metropolis and Suame which has high numbers as well. Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abbrem (KEEA) District, Cape Coast, and Ajumako are the districts with the high numbers in the Central Region.[25]

695 persons tested positive at a fish-processing factory in Tema after a worker contracted the virus and infected over 500 workers there in a widely reported case of a super-spreader. All 1,300 staff of the company were tested, yet 95 percent of the affected persons recorded a first negative test.[26]

On 29 May 2020, 50 workers at the Jubilee Field operated by Tullow Oil were confirmed to have tested positive for the virus.[27][28]

• On 11 May 2020, the government of Ghana through the office of the Ghana Tourism Authority, gave hotels, bars and restaurants permission to reopen but to operate under enhanced social distancing procedures.[29][30]
• In a televised address, the president extended the ban on social gatherings till the last day of May 2020.[31]

For details see Timeline of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ghana.

• On 13 June 2020, the Minister of Health tested positive for the disease and was admitted at the University of Ghana Medical Center in Accra.[32] A couple of days later the Minister of Information announced that the Minister of Health was now recuperating at home.[33]
• The President also confirmed that the Chief Executive of the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly, Kobina Kuretsi Sam, had passed away due to COVID-19.[34]
• On 16 June 2020, the CEO of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), tested positive for the virus.[35]
• 

  Veronica Bucket, a bucket with a tap(spigot) attached mounted in many open spaces and at entrances for mandatory hand-washing.
  On 24 June 2020, the Education Minister was detained at the UGMC over fears of the virus infection. He reported himself to the hospital when he felt unwell.[36] Member of Parliament for Okere was admitted at the same facility with the Education Minister.[37]

• With effect from the beginning of June there was some relaxation of restrictions.  Religious services were allowed to commence effective Friday, 5 June, with mandatory use of nose masks and with congregations not exceeding 100.  Private burials with a maximum attendance of 100 persons were allowed.  Similarly weddings and other social gatherings could take place with no more than 100 people attending.  Ghana's borders remained closed.
• The President announced that from the middle of June, final year students of junior high schools, senior high schools and universities could return to school. Final year students in many of the 234 tertiary institutions started returning to their respective campuses on 15 June for a few weeks of classes and final exams. Fumigation of all schools across the country also started with senior high schools expected to reopen on 22 June and junior high schools schools on 29 June.[38][39]
• According to the new Executive Instrument, E.I. 164, signed by the President on 15 June 2020, people who refuse to wear face masks in public could face jail terms of between 4–10 years or a fine of between GHS12,000 and GHS60,000 or both would be made.[40]
• The president approved the construction of additional Intensive Care Unit (ICU) bed facilities in the Greater Accra region to boost the country's COVID-19 case management. The president also confirmed there was an ongoing construction of a new treatment center in the Ashanti region as part of efforts in the management of the disease cases in Ghana.[41]
• Government calmed fears over the implementation of the new COVID-19 discharge policy which was in line with the WHO revised recommendations that allowed for asymptomatic COVID-19 patients to be discharged after 14 days without test.[42]
• Government assured guidelines to be given to the Ghana Police Service on the mandatory wearing of face masks enforcement. Minister for Information said the communication from the police hierarchy would address the confusion that the enforcement plan might have caused.[43]
• Government asked institutions to strengthen safety measures to halt the spread of Covid-19 disease among staffs. This was said by the Information Minister at a press conference in Accra.[44]