Coronavirus: Ghana extends ban on social gatherings to 31 May as positive cases hit 4,700

11 Mai 2020

Accra, Ghana, May 11 (Infosplusgabon) - Ghana's president Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has extended the ban on public gatherings to 31 May as positive cases have shot up once again to 4,700 from 4,263.

In his ninth broadcast on Sunday night, he said 494 patients have recovered while 22 others have passed away.

The ban affects conferences, workshops, parties, nightclubs, drinking spots, beaches, festivals, political rallies, religious activities and sporting events.

All educational facilities, private and public, will remain closed, while funerals are limited to not more than 25 persons. The closure of the country's borders were recently extended by two weeks.

President Akufo-Addo stressed the success of testing in Ghana's containment strategy and said 160,501 tests had been conducted as at Sunday and seven more testing facilities are coming on board from three facilities.

"Our country has administered more tests per million people than any other country in Africa, and, in fact, the World Health Organisation has reached out to us to share our sample pooling experience with other African countries, so they can adopt this strategy and also ramp up their testing capabilities."

President Akufo-Addo said the rapid implementation of government's policies has resulted in the "low infection, hospitalisation and death rates, some of the lowest in Africa and the world".

He urged the population to continue to adhere to the sanitary protocols, social distancing, wearing of masks, among others.

He also urged the public to improve their hygiene and fitness through exercises, eating, better style of living, which will boost immunity to disease and the virus.

"Following a good diet, patronising our healthy foods, exercising regularly, ensuring our personal hygiene, and improving our lifestyle habits should become part and parcel of our daily routines, which will help bolster our immune systems, and help us in the fight against the pandemic," President Akufo-Addo said.

FIN/ INFOSPLUSGABON/IOP/GABON2020

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