COVID-19 DEATH TOLL RISES; GMA Calls For Restrictions On Public Gatherings

With the highest recorded number of daily death tolls over the weekend as the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic strikes Ghana hard, the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has advised the government to with immediate effect reintroduce the restrictions on all forms of gatherings.

General Secretary of the GMA, Dr. Justice Yankson said restrictions on funerals, parties, weddings, and all other events should be reintroduced.

He said the restrictions are long overdue and to prevent further spread, we have to announce the restrictions.

The latest and new COVID-19 cases, he indicated, are being recorded from such gatherings and it is an indication for the country to reintroduce the restrictions.

The statement comes on the heels of the country confirming 658 new cases of the virus just last Thursday alone which has shot up the cumulative case count as at the time of going to press to 59,480 per the latest updates by the Ghana Health Service.

Dr Yankson further called for the reintroduction of localized restrictions in hotspots or areas where the cases are spreading more.

“We need to immediately reintroduce restrictions on all weddings, parties, funerals, and other events. We cannot allow this to continue. We should also not hesitate to introduce localized restrictions,” he said.

He warned that the situation currently is not the best and the earlier we take steps to prevent the spread, the better adding that health facilities are overstretched with pressure on medical officers.

The medical officer said if we do not take care, we will record more deaths. He again asked Ghanaians to pray for doctors and frontline health workers.

Meanwhile, Ghana has hit a record high in its daily average of confirmed COVID-19 cases in almost six months.

The country, according to the latest updates by the Ghana Health Service, has confirmed 658 new cases of the virus which has shot up the cumulative case count to 59,480.

The number of active cases has thus increased from 2,178 to 2,413 with the number of recoveries stated as 56,706.

With the 2,413 current active cases, 83 of the infected persons are said to be in severe conditions whilst 28 are reported to be in critical conditions.

So far, the only regions without confirmed or active cases since the new wave of infections started some two weeks ago are the Oti and Savannah Regions.

This is the breakdown of the Cumulative Cases per Region (Case Count from Highest to Lowest)

Greater Accra Region – 33,731

Ashanti Region – 11,560

Western Region – 3,261

Eastern Region – 2,687

Central Region – 2,210

Volta Region – 808

Bono East Region – 795

Western North Region – 689