Covid-19: Ghana's case count now 1,042, recoveries 99

Ghana has recorded 1,042 positive coronavirus cases, representing 1.5% of some 68,591 samples tested, with 99 persons recovering after contracting the disease. 

President Akufo-Addo announced the numbers in his latest Covid-19 update Sunday night, during which he lifted the three week-old partial lockdown imposed on Accra and Kumasi to help contain the spread of the virus effective 1am on Monday. April 20.

He said nine persons with underlying ailments, have died from the disease.

The President however cautioned that while the lockdown which ensured the restriction of movement of persons within the affected areas has been lifted from the effective date, all other directives such as the ban on public gatherings and the observance of Covid-19 protocols remain in force.

Read also: List of social gatherings that remain suspended after partial lockdown is lifted

The review of the situation as engendered by the pandemic, has been guided by the data and science available on Ghana's specific cases, explaining that "The main reason our country has seen an increase in the number of confirmed cases over the last three (3) weeks is because of the decision we took aggressively to trace and test contacts of infected persons. This has enabled us to identify and isolate infected persons, protect the population from further infections, and contain better the spread of the virus. Indeed, Ghana is the only other country in Africa to have conducted more than sixty thousand tests, and we are ranked number one (1) in Africa in administering of tests per million people.

"The decision to impose restrictions on movement was backed by the data at hand, and our next course of action, again, is backed by data and by science. Indeed, all that Government is doing is intended to achieve five (5) key objectives – limit and stop the importation of the virus; contain its spread; provide adequate care for the sick; limit the impact of the virus on social and economic life; and inspire the expansion of our domestic capability and deepen our self-reliance."