Three more persons have tested positive for COVID-19 in the Upper East Region, bringing to total, four, the number of confirmed cases in the region.
All the three new cases are linked to the first case which was confirmed on April 3, 2020.
The Ghana Health Service while announcing the first case in the Upper East Region earlier indicated that “This particular case has no travel history or contact with any confirmed case in Ghana.”
According to the Upper East Regional Director of Health Services, Dr. Winfred Ofosu, a total of 44 close contacts had their samples taken to the Kumasi Center for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine (KCCR) for testing.
“We received the laboratory feedback on the contacts from KCCR which showed that three of the contacts tested positive for COVID-10, bringing to total count of confirmed cases in the Upper East Region to four (4).”
Health authorities in the area are now identifying close contacts of the new cases to immediately quarantine them.
“All the three (3) confirmed cases have been in self-isolation since they were identified as contacts. Contact tracing has been initiated to identify all close contacts of the new cases for quarantine,” Dr. Ofosu said in the statement.
Dr. Ofosu further urged residents in the region to remain calm as they work to contain the situation.
The Upper East Region was the sixth region in Ghana to confirm a case of COVID-19.
Details about the index case in the region showed that the first person who tested positive for COVID-19 in the regional capital, Bolgatanga had spent a week in the Western Region.
According to the Upper East Coordinating Council, she returned to Bolgatanga on Friday, March 27, 2020.
“One the 28th March 2020, she presented herself at the Upper East Regional Hospital, Bolgtanga with symptoms consistent with COVID-19. Samples were taken to Kumasi Center for Collaborative Research for laboratory confirmation.”
Her results came back positive on April 3, 2020.
408 COVID-19 cases have been recorded in Ghana as of April 11, 2020.
While four people had recovered, eight others who tested positive for COVID-19 had died.
Below is the regional breakdown of COVID-19 cases in Ghana:
Greater Accra – 329
Ashanti – 40
Central – 1
Eastern – 25
Northern – 10
North East – 1
Upper East – 4
Upper West – 1
