Ghana’s COVID-19 case count is 17,741

Accra, June 30, GNA – Ghana has recorded 390 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the tally to 17,741, as at Monday, June 29, 2020, the Ghana Health Service’s Director-General, Dr Patrick Kuma Aboagye, has reported.

With 13,269 recoveries, representing 74.8 per cent of the total positive cases recorded, there are 4,361 active cases with the patients receiving treatment at isolation centres across the country, while others are under home management.

Twenty-four of the patients are, however, classified as having severe cases, while four persons are on ventilators. The death toll remains 112 from the previous daily update.

A total of 297,591 tests have been conducted, with the country’s COVID-19 positivity rate being 5.96 per cent rate; while the death rate is 0.63 per cent.

Dr Kuma-Aboagye, who gave the update at the Minister of Information’s briefing on Tuesday, said the new cases were recorded in 41 districts in five regions: Greater Accra – 217, Ashanti – 140, Eastern – 22, Volta – nine and Oti- two.

Some of the districts in the Greater Accra, which recorded new cases are; La Nkwantanang-58, Korle Klottey-44, Ayawaso Central-30, Tema-18, Accra Metropolis-14, Ga North- six, Kpone Katamanso- five, Weija-Gbawe-14, La Dadekotopon-six, ,Ledzekuku- ,Krowor- two and Okaikwei North-two.

Dr Kuma-Aboagye said the Greater Accra and Greater Kumasi regions remained the epicentres of the virus and underlined the need for Ghanaians to observe the social/physical distancing directives and other safety and hygiene protocols such as the regular washing of hands with soap under running water, using alcohol-based hand sanitizers and the wearing of facemasks in public.

“We need to also take action in clusters that are having spikes in COVID-19 in order to bring the rate of infections under control,” he added.

Dr Kuma-Aboagye entreated persons who were experiencing symptoms like coughing and sneezing, loss of taste and smell, with shortness of breath, to report promptly to medical facilities for medical attention since reporting early would boost one’s chances of survival.

He explained that those who reported Covid-29 symptoms late to the hospital often died within 48 hours of arrival.

Meanwhile, Dr Kuma-Aboagye said the COVID-19 Response Team was working closely with the Electoral Commission, in relation to the compilation of a new voters’ roll, to sensitise registrants to strictly adhere to all the safety and hygiene protocols at the registration centres, in the next six weeks.

Currently, more than 10 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been recorded globally, with about 500,000 deaths.

Africa has confirmed 288,347 cases with about 5,000 deaths.

GNA