Ghana’s president, Mr. Nana Akufo-Addo, has gone into self-isolation for two weeks as a precautionary measure despite testing negative for coronavirus.
The country’s information ministry disclosed this after one of the president’s contacts was confirmed to have the coronavirus disease.
The announcement came a day after the presidency said a junior minister had resigned for failing to self-isolate after testing positive.
Although there was no official indication the events were linked, the ministry said Akufo-Addo began his quarantine on Saturday and will be working from the presidential villa in Accra.
“The president has elected to do so after at least one person within his close circle tested positive for COVID-19,” the minister said.
“(The president) has, as (of) today, tested negative, but has elected to take this measure out of the abundance of caution.”
Ghana has reported more than 19,300 cases of the new respiratory disease and 117 deaths, and has lifted its strict lockdown although social-distancing measures remain in place.
In Nigeria, the governor of Benue State, Dr. Samuel Ortom has gone into self-isolation though he tested negative for the disease.
Briefing the media in Makurdi, the governor said he adopted the measure following the confirmation that his wife, Eunice, and the secretary to the state government, Prof. Anthony Ijohor, tested positive for COVID-19.
He also disclosed the his chief of staff, Mr. Terwase Orbunde, and the state head of service, Mrs. Veronica Onyeke, among others, also tested positive for the virus.
“As my wife rightly announced of her COVID-19 positive status and that of our son late Friday, this should serve as a lesson to our people in the state that no one is immune to COVID-19 and we should all adhere strictly to the protocols set by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
“Though I am negative, my samples will still be taken in the next three days for another test, but right now, we are all on self-isolation.
“Already, the government house is being decontaminated and I have decided to go on self-isolation,” said Ortom.
Also, the governor of Ebonyi State, Mr. Dave Umahi announced that he had tested positive for the virus.
In a statement on Saturday, Umahi said the result of the samples taken from him showed that he had tested positive, adding that some of his close aides equally tested positive for the virus.
He said although they were asymptomatic, they had isolated themselves in line with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) protocols.
Consequently, Umahi said he had directed his deputy, Mr. Kelechi Igwe, to take over the frontline coordination of the state’s fight against the pandemic while he would be working from home and all his meetings would be virtual.
