Finance Ministry shuts down for mass testing over Covid-19 fears

There is rife speculation that Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta may have been infected with the deadly COVID-19 as more government appointees are reporting positive to the disease. The latest announcement that the Ministry of Finance has been shut down to allow mass testing of staff is sending rippled through the Finance Ministry.

Whatsup News has seen an official memo from the Ministry of Finance announcing to all staff that the entire edifice will shut down and that staff can work from home as they await test results for the coronavirus.

“In addition, the necessary contact-tracing will be taken by the appropriate health authorities. Staff will be duly informed about the appropriate date to return to the office to work,” the July 7 memo stated.

The statement signed by Chief Director of the Ministry, Patrick Nomo further advised adherence to “safety protocols which have been put in place at the Ministry to ensure the protection of staff including washing of hands with soap under running water.”

This shutdown is coming in the heels of the frantic effort of the Finance Ministry to put together the mid-year budget review documents.

In the memo, the ministry claims it has assembled a team of core staff to operate from some coded locations so they can keep working on the mid-year budget review.

The Finance Ministry is the latest state institution that has shut down due to COVID-19. Recently, the bulk oil transportation company, BOST was shut down after over 28% of its staff tested positive for COVID-19.

Today, the state Cocoa regulator, COCOBOD is also shutting down after it turned out some of its top executives and staff had tested positive to COVID-19.

Despite this scaring rampage of COVID-19, the Electoral Commission (EC) has remained adamant as it continues to mass up millions of Ghanaians to participate in the contentious new voter registration exercise.