Tests on samples from two foreign nationals quarantined at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital have proven negative for the deadly 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV).
Accra-based Joy TV’s Head of Health Desk, Fred Smith, who revealed the latest development reported on Thursday that the patients are still under surveillance at the Fevers Unit of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.
However, further tests are being carried out at the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research.
‘Two Ghanaians under surveillance’ – 11 things we know about two suspected cases of Coronavirus
The cases were reported on Thursday and involve a Chinese and an Argentine who were both referred to Ghana’s premier hospital from an undisclosed health facility in Accra.
Coronavirus: ‘Do you want us to die before you evacuate us?’ – Ghanaian students in Wuhan beg again
The Chinese man, a banker, is reported to have left Korle Bu to get food. Reports suggest that he went home instead and the police had to be called in to have him return to the health facility.
The death toll from the coronavirus outbreak in mainland China has risen beyond 563 as at Wednesday with over 25,000 infections recorded.
Wuhan, the epicentre of the contagious disease is under lockdown as Chinese authorities battle to bring the spread under control.
The director-general of the World Health Organization (W.H.O.), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has requested some $675m to help countries to battle the disease and a world health emergency alert has been activated.
In Ghana, the Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyemang Manu has told parliament that the government has earmarked GHC 2.5 million to fight the infection.
He says public health emergency management systems have been activated at all levels.
He said there have been stakeholder consultation involving the National Technical Coordinating Committee experts from the Ministry of Health, Ghana Health Service, World Health Organisation, Veterinary Services Department of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR), Immigration Service, Security Agencies, Centres for Disease Control and Prevention among others, towards containing an outbreak in the country.
Additionally, authorities have engaged the Chinese Ambassador to Ghana to regulate high risk travels to and from highly affected regions in China to Ghana.
He revealed that there is high active surveillance, case definitions development to identify and manage cases and training of health workers on the coronavirus are ongoing.
There is enhanced screening at heavy traffic entry points especially the KIA where travellers, especially from China, are required to undergo thorough checks before entry into the boundaries of the country.
Health declaration forms to extract salient information from travellers to access risk profile are applied to all international flights at KIA.