Ghana has the highest number of confirmed cases of coronavirus among 16 West African countries.
According to data obtained from the World Health Organisation, 4,012 people have tested positive for coronavirus in Ghana.
The country witnessed increased cases of the virus after lifting a three-week lockdown in its two major cities on April 20.
President Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana cited improved coronavirus testing and the “severe” impact of the restrictions on the poor and vulnerable for lifting the lockdown in the country.
The PUNCH reports that Ghana overtook Nigeria as the country with the highest coronavirus cases after its total cases jumped by nearly 30 per cent in a single day.
The overall number of cases in Ghana rose from 3,091 on Thursday to 4,012, including 18 deaths.
The country recorded 921 cases within 24 hours, barely 18 days after easing its lockdown.
As at press time, South Africa with 9,420 coronavirus cases has the highest number of infections in Africa, followed by Algeria with 5,369 cases; Ghana – 4,012; Nigeria – 3,912; Cameroon – 2,274; Guinea 2,009; Côte d’Ivoire – 1,602; Senegal – 1,634; Democratic Republic of the Congo – 937; Niger – 795; Burkina Faso- 744; Mali – 692; Kenya – 649; and Gabon also has 620 cases.
MDB reported on Friday that Nigeria’s coronavirus cases has risen to 3,912 few days after the President Buhari ordered a gradual easing of lockdown in the FCT, Lagos and Ogun States on May 4.
The President had on March 29 imposed a 14-day lockdown in the FCT and the two states to contain the spread of the virus. At the end of the 14 days, which terminated on April 13, the President extended the lockdown by another 14 days.
Then on April 27, President Buhari in an address to the nation announced a one-week extension of the lockdown in Lagos, Ogun, and the FCT and the commencement of a two-week lockdown in Kano State.
Since May 4 when the gradual ease of the lockdown began till May 8, Nigeria has recorded an additional 1,354 coronavirus cases. This shows that between May 4 (2558 cases) and May 8 (3912 cases), there has being a 52.9 percent increase. This could however be attributed to the increase in testing by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control.
NCDC on Friday said the country recorded its highest daily infections figure.
The NCDC said;
On the 8th of May 2020, 386 new confirmed cases and 10 deaths were recorded in Nigeria. No new state has reported a case in the last 24 hours.
Till date, 3912 cases have been confirmed, 679 cases have been discharged and 117 deaths have been recorded in 34 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
