Latest updates from the deadly Covid-19 coronavirus shows that a fourth patient has died as total confirmed cases climbs to a staggering 132 from two cases less than two weeks ago.
The identity of the fourth victim is currently unknown, One of the deceased is a Lebanese businessman in Kumasi, while another is reportedly the wife of a military General in the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF). The identities of the other two are not known currently.
According to the Ghana Health Services (GHS) live updates, as at the morning of 26 March 2020, a total of 54 cases have been detected from the general population, up from 27, while 78 others were confirmed from the over 1,000 travellers to Ghana currently forced into mandatory quarantine in the country.
According to the GHS, majority of the confirmed Covid-19 cases in Ghana are Ghanaians who returned home from affected countries. Of the entire 132 confirmed cases, only seven are foreigners who also “imported” the disease into the country.
Ghana is currently the second-highest Covid-19 epicentres in Sub-Saharan Africa after Burkina Faso. The rate of infection in Ghana is higher than neighbouring Nigeria (51 cases) which is the most populous nation in Africa. Ghana’s rate of officially confirmed cases is also higher than neighbouring countries like Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast who both reported cases almost one week before the first two cases in Ghana were confirmed.
It is unclear why the growth trajectory in Ghana is rapidly spiking as terrified citizens mount pressure on the Akufo Addo administration to up its game in the fight against Covid-19.
As at press time, the global figures show that approximately 510,500 people have been infected and some 23,000 have died. Most of the deaths are now coming from Europe with Italy as the main epicentre of infection in the European sub-continent.