Ghana’s COVID-19 death toll rises to 629

 

 

Eighteen more Ghanaians have died from the coronavirus taking the country’s death toll to 629.

Per the latest update from the Ghana Health Service, 489 new cases have also been recorded as at February  28 and March 1 2021, bringing the country’s active case count to 5, 145.

The Greater Accra, Ashanti, Western, Eastern and Central Regions continue to lead with the highest rate of infections.

In all Ghana has had 85,239 total cases with 79,465 recoveries.

Ghana is currently vaccinating citizens against the virus within 43 districts, which are hotspots of the pandemic in the country.

Twenty-five of these districts are in the Greater Accra Region, 16 in Ashanti Region, and two in the Central Region.

The Ghana Health Service has said over 30,000 Ghanaians have so far been vaccinated.

 

 

 

 

 

 

COVID-19: Over 30,000 Ghanaians vaccinated so far – GHS

Dr. Kwame Amponsa-Achiano, Programme Manager, Expanded Programme on Immunization, Ghana Health Service, has said 30,500 Ghanaians have been vaccinated against the Coronavirus as of March 3, 2021.

“Out of this, about 16,990 of them are males while 13,450 are females,” he said.

He said this in an interview with the media on the sidelines of the National Delegates Congress of Community Health Nurses, Ghana (CHNG) in Accra on Thursday, March 4, 2021.

The three-day delegate congress, organised by the CHNG and the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association, was to elect substantive leaders to run the affairs of the community health nurses.

It was under the theme: “Harnessing Community Nurses’ Prospects, Fulcrum to Attain Preventive Health as a Nation.”

Dr. Amponsa-Achiano, a guest speaker at the event, was elated about the turnout for the vaccination exercise saying it has so far been impressive.

He commended Ghanaians for coming out in their numbers to patronize the vaccines.

“Initially because of the hesitancy and conspiracy theories, we were a bit skeptical and cautiously hopeful, but the turnout has been impressive,” he said.

He, however, attributed the high turnout to the sensitization exercise undertaken by the GHS prior to the enrolment of the exercise.

He further disclosed that about 11,500 frontline health workers had also been vaccinated.

Ghana, on February 24, took delivery of 600,000 doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine from the COVAX facility for free.

The Government of Ghana is looking to vaccinate about 20 million of the population against the virus.

Dr Amponsa-Achiano said the GHS was considering extending the duration of the exercise from seven to 14 days due to some challenges including tablet malfunctions and overcrowding witnessed in some districts and regions.

“Initially, we hope to complete the first phase within 7-days but due to some challenges witnessed in some districts and regions, we intend to extend the duration by seven more days,” he explained.

He commended frontline health workers, particularly community health nurses, for their selfless effort to the delivery of healthcare in hard-to-reach communities across the country.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Former Black Stars goalkeeper completes move to Wolaita Dicha SC in Ethiopia

Former Black Stars goalkeeper Daniel Agyei has joined Wolaita Dicha SC in Ethiopia on a short-term deal.

The U-20 FIFA World Cup winner has signed a contract with the Ethiopian top-flight side until the end of the 2020/2021 season.

The 31-year old left his former team Mekelle Kenema after they were unable to compete in the Ethiopian Premier League due to the Trigray Region War.

Wolaita Dicha SC currently lie 6th on the Ethiopian Premier League log with 17 points after 13 games and Agyei’s experience might propel them to the top half of the table.
Daniel Agyei has in the past played for Sebeta Kenema FC and Jimma Abba Jifar all in Ethiopia and won the league and best goalkeeper in 2018.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Coronavirus: Ayew brothers, Partey to miss Black Stars AFCON qualifier against South Africa

Black Stars coach Charles Akonnor is likely to be without some of his key players based in the United Kingdom ahead of the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations qualifier doubleheader against South Africa and Sao Tome later this month.

Black Stars captain Andre Dede Ayew, Crystal Palace duo Jordan Ayew and Jeffrey Schlupp, Thomas Partey, Tariq Fosu are likely to miss the game should their clubs block their move during the international break.

As part of the UK COVID-19 protocols, anyone that returns from countries on the Red List must quarantine in an airport hotel for 10 days, with no exemptions for elite athletes which many Premier League managers and coaches have raised concerns and are unhappy about.

Most coaches at this point in the season are not willing to release players for the upcoming international break due to the COVID-19 risk and quarantine regulations.

Thus clubs have the sole autonomy whether to release players or not which is backed by FIFA’s current regulations on releasing players amid the pandemic.

The Black Stars coach with the possibility of missing out on invited players is preparing with a squad dominated by locally based players ahead of the double-header.

The team broke camp on Wednesday and will reassemble after the league matches this weekend.

Ghana travels away to play South Africa on March 25, 2021.

 

 

We'll not relocate, find us another market - Traders

Second-hand clothing sellers at the Kumasi Central Market in the Ashanti Region have said they will not relocate to the Abinkyi Market until the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) finds them a suitable place to move their business.

The traders held a protest against the KMA on Thursday, 4 March 2021.

The aggrieved traders, numbering about 5,000, described the spaces demarcated for them as too small to accommodate them.

They also expressed their disappointment with Kumasi mayor Osei Assibey Antwi, who, they asserted, had promised to find them a spacious area.

However, upon arrival at the Abinkyi market, their expectations were not met.

The traders are expected to relocate to enable work to begin on the second phase of the Kumasi Kejetia-Central market.

The traders noted that they would not relocate until an appropriate market is found for them.

They appealed to the Kumasi mayor to rescind his decision to move them to the Abinkyi market and rather find them a more appropriate market that suits their needs.

Speaking to Africannewsgh.com, some of the traders who were wailing, bemoaned the action of the KMA.

A female trader said: “The NDC would never do this, we voted for the NPP.”

A male trader also stated: “Osei Assibey, after voting for you, this is what we get? NPP is wicked.”

Another female trader said: “We don’t like this place, we can’t sell here, no-one will come to Abinkyi market to buy second-hand clothes, then take us to Kofrom Market instead.”

The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the traders, Mr Michael Amponsah, called on the KMA to find them a more appropriate market.

Mr Amponsah said: “As for us the leaders, we’re aware that the KMA’s actions are contrary to the agreement we had with them. They’re doing what they like. We discussed the way forward on this. How do you come to the field to change what we discussed, it doesn’t bring peace. We won’t engage them in a banter, all we have to say is that they should find us an appropriate place.”

He also called on the Regional Minister to keep to his promise.

“We are appealing to the leaders, we plead with the Regional Minister, we went to him and he promised to relocate all of us to one place, we plead with him to keep to his promise. They should give us a place that we can all do business, else they’ll destroy our business. The place is too small to accommodate all the second-hand traders,” PRO for the traders said.