Meeting of Ghanaians in Italy cancelled over Coronavirus scare

An association of Ghanaians living in Italy has called off a planned meeting over coronavirus fears.

The meeting organised by Oman Ghana, a coalition of Ghanaian associations living there, had planned to meet last Saturday, February 29,2019.

The organisers explained to theghanareport.com that it was cancelled in compliance with an Italian government directive that frowns on gatherings of all forms.

It was to be their maiden meeting as Ghanaians from all part of Italy had planned to showcase the best of Ghanaian culture while taking stock of issues back home.

They were to congregate in the Northern Italian city of Modena.

But it was not to be as Italy records the highest number of coronavirus, otherwise known Convid-19, outside Asia, the global epicentre of the epidemic. The disease was first identified in China before its global surge.

Thousands of Ghanaians in Italy are locked up in their homes as the coronavirus disease takes a steady sprint through Italy, killing at least 52 people and more than 2,000 infected with the deadly disease.

The Ghanaian community in Italy is gripped with fear, Nana Nhyirah Pomaah, one  of the organisers of the meeting told theghanareport.com

“We are all indoors.  They have told us to stay indoors because of the coronavirus disease which seems to spread in some parts of Italy. When you go to town, very few people are out there,” she said.

Nana Pomaah said her family has been struggling to grow accustomed to the new routine: wake up, check the local coronavirus-patient count, take temperatures, wash hands.

The main proactive measure, though, is to avoid going into town.  Schools are closed, religious services postponed as the Italian government scrambles to contain the disease.

The BBC reported that Italy is struggling to counter the outbreak of the disease after a sharp spike in cases and deaths made it the worst-infected country outside of Asia.

The country has put at least a dozen towns on lockdown hoping to contain the spread.

The coronavirus has spread to more than six regions in the country as of Monday morning, The Associated Press reported.

The two most infected regions are Lombardy and Veneto, both in the north of Italy and home to the major cities of Milan and Venice.