The Cape Coast Metropolitan Assembly (CCMA) on Friday, 12 February 2021, laid to rest five persons who succumbed to COVID-19.

They were part of 17 COVID-19-related deaths pending burial in the metropolis.

Speaking to Class91.3FM’s Central regional correspondent, Kakra Abrokwah, the Cape Coast Metropolitan Environmental Health Officer, Mr Iddris Shani, revealed that a nine-month-old baby was among the five persons who were buried today.

He further revealed that they had earlier buried 20 persons, bringing the number of persons who have succumbed to the virus so far in the metropolis, to 37.

“We have buried 20 bodies so far; so, today's will add up to become 25 bodies buried in Cape Coast. That, too, is not all because we have other 12 bodies pending to be buried,” Mr Shani stated.

Mr Shani bemoaned the rate at which relatives of the deceased chase the Assembly for the bodies and appealed to them to bear with the government under the circumstances.

He explained that as soon as a person dies of the virus, their body becomes the government’s in order to protect the family.

He also advised Ghanaians to disregard misconceptions about the pandemic and adhere to the safety protocols.

On the national front, twelve more people recently succumbed to the virus, taking Ghana’s death toll to 496, the latest figures from the Ghana Health Service indicate.

Also, 554 new cases have been confirmed.

The country’s active cases now stand at 6,948.

So far, a total of 73,557 cases have been recorded since March last year.

Out of that number, 66,115 have recovered.

Regional breakdown

Greater Accra Region - 43,044

Ashanti Region - 13,231

Western Region - 4,164

Eastern Region - 3,211

Central Region - 2,498

Volta Region - 1,181

Bono East Region - 882

Northern Region - 802

Upper East Region - 755

Western North Region - 737

Bono Region - 718

Ahafo Region - 565

Upper West Region - 251

Oti Region - 250

Savannah Region - 68

North East Region - 37