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Confirmed COVID-19 cases tally up 9,462 …3,547 recoveries, 44 deaths
Ghana’s coronavirus (COVID-19) cases now stands at 9,462, latest updates from the Ghana Health Service (GHS) have confirmed.
The cases are up by 294 from its last update of 9,168.
According to the GHS, 90 more people have recovered from the virus increasing the recovery rate to 3,547.
Two more casualties however, have been recorded sending the death toll to 44.
Both deaths which came from the Ashanti Region involved two females aged 62 and 63 respectively with underlying health conditions including asthma, diabetes mellitus and acute cerebrovascular accident.
With active cases now at 5,871, the GHS says three infected persons remain in critical condition and on ventilators with 17 others, in severe condition.
The country continues to record more COVID-19 cases from its enhanced contact tracing as 5,474 of its total case count has come from such exercises.
About 3,838 cases have been recorded from general surveillance and 150 from mandatory quarantine.
Of the new cases, the Ashanti Region leads the chart with 127 cases from 15 districts with the Greater Accra Region following suit with 77 cases from 10 districts.
The Western Region which is Ghana’s latest hotspot for the disease recorded 61 new cases from the Tarkwa Nsuaem District and an oil and gas company based in the region.
The Central Region has 26 new cases with the Eastern, Western North and Bono East regions recording one case each.
Meanwhile, the number of people confirmed to have died of COVID-19 globally has passed 400,000 according to the Johns Hopkins Dashboard.
Data from the website also show that worldwide infections have reached 6,910,014, while the number of people who have recovered stands at 3,094,075.
The US is the worst-hit country by the pandemic with over 1,920,061 confirmed cases and over 109,802 fatalities.
BY ABIGAIL ANNOH
Ghana’s First Lady, Lordina Mahama, has made a generous donation to the country’s national female Under-17 and Under-20 teams – Black Maidens and Black Princesses- as they continue preparations for major international assignments.
The donation, made on Friday, May 22, was presented on behalf of the First Lady by the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, at the GFA Technical Centre in Prampram.
The gesture forms part of efforts to motivate and support Ghana’s young female footballers as they prepare to represent the country on the international stage.
The donation included essential food items and toiletries aimed at supporting the welfare and well-being of the players and technical teams.
The donation included cartons of Milo, T-rolls, soft drinks, toiletries, and a range of essential supplies aimed at supporting the welfare of the players, enhancing camp conditions, and easing preparations ahead of their respective assignments.
The Black Maidens are currently engaged in preparations for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup qualifiers and are set to take on Liberia women’s national under-17 football team in the second-leg encounter in Liberia this weekend.
Meanwhile, the Black Princesses have already secured qualification to the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup after overcoming Uganda in the qualifiers, extending Ghana’s remarkable record to eight consecutive appearances at the tournament.
The donation by the First Lady was expected to boost morale within both camps while reinforcing national support for the young female footballers who continue to make the country proud.
The prosecution has officially rested its case in The Republic v Solomon Asamoah & Another, the high-profile legal battle commonly referred to as the “Sky Train” case.
The Deputy Attorney General Justice Srem Sai announced the development, praising the state’s team of hard-working prosecutors for successfully anchoring the state’s evidence before the High Court.
The criminal trial centers on the former Chief Executive Officer and the former Board Chairman of the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF).
The duo stands accused of illegally authorizing and paying out US$2 million to a foreign company without obtaining board directives or other mandatory statutory approvals.
State investigators have confirmed that the disbursed millions cannot be found.
Following the closure of the prosecution’s case, the accused persons moved the court for an opportunity to file a submission of no case.
The presiding judge granted the application, ordering the defense to submit their arguments by June 8.
The outcome of the June 8 filings will decide the fate of the trial:
With this, if the judge finds the defense’s submission convincing, the accused will be acquitted and discharged however, If the judge dismisses the submission, the court will order the accused officials to take the stand and explain why they should not face prison sentences.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
