A total of 427 new infections of coronavirus has shot Ghana’s case count up to 5,127.
This comes exactly two months after the country recorded its first two index cases of the deadly viral disease. Both were imported cases.
Speaking to journalists at the Ministry of Information’s media briefing, the Director General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) announced on Tuesday, May 12 that cases in Ashanti Region – via community spread – have risen quite sharply.
Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye said the Region’s figures rose from 355 – from the last count on Sunday, May 10 – to 622 infections.
The epicentre is Obuasi, where a couple was infected but unknowingly went to the town’s main market to trade.
This has led to a shutdown of the Obuasi Central Market for disinfection and fumigation. Contacts are also being traced for testing and treatment.
“Kumasi cases are going down but Obuasi is going up,” Dr Kuma-Aboagye stated.
The Greater Accra Region, nonetheless, continues to lead the regional breakdown in terms of confirmed cases, recoveries as well as deaths.
With 89 new infections, the Region’s total cases are now 3,981. Tema and Klottey Korley are among the epicentre districts in the Region.
Western Region also recorded new cases, taking its tally to 52.
The rest of the regions had their tally remain the same from the last update.
Not changed is also the number of deaths – which stands at 22.
According to the Head of Public Health of the Service, Dr Badu Sarkodie, the country’s fatality rate of 0.47 per cent is one of the best in the world and he attributed this to the topnotch care given patients.
9-year-old dies
He announced, however, that the youngest person to have died of the virus in Ghana is a nine-year-old.
Dr Badu Sarkodie did not give any more details but it is likely to have been recorded at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.
The oldest patient to have died was 82 years old, he said.
So far, 494 persons have recovered, leaving the active cases under management by the Service at 4,611.
About 180 others are awaiting a second test, Dr Kuma-Aboagye said, to declare them fully recovered.
All these were recorded from a total of 161,203 tests conducted.
By Emmanuel Kwame Amoh|3news.com|Ghana