General News of Tuesday, 19 May 2020

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

LIVE UPDATES: Press briefing over 5,918 coronavirus cases, controversial recoveries

Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah

The Ministry of Information holds a press conference at the Press Centre, Accra, to provide clarity on Coronavirus recoveries in the country.

Three days ago, Ghana recorded its highest recoveries as 790 patients were said to have recovered after testing negative for the virus for the second time.

Some Ghanaians, including Joyce Bawah Mogtari, special aide to former President John Mahama, raised doubts over the credibility of the numbers in the update released by the Ghana Health Service.

“How the hell did 790 more people recover overnight! We need to put these numbers to strict proof!” her tweet read.

A virologist at the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, Dr Kofi Bonney, explained that Ghana is recording high recoveries of the novel coronavirus because most of the people who contracted the disease were asymptomatic.

Meanwhile, new updates on Tuesday, May 19, show another surge in Ghana’s coronavirus cases as 183 more persons have tested positive for the virus. This brings the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 5,918.

The death toll has risen from 29 to 31. The number of recoveries, however, remained unchanged from the previously recorded 1,754.

The Ministry of Information is also expected to provide updates on Obuasi and Tema case management after more cases were recorded in those parts of the country. The issue of stigmatisation of people who have recovered will also be addressed.