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Health professionals testing some Covid-19 samples
The Ghana Health Service has disclosed that 19 more lives have been lost to Covid-19 within 48 hours.
In its latest update, the GHS revealed that the country’s death toll, as of August 27, stood at 1,036. This is against 1,017 deaths recorded as of August 25.
The number of active cases currently stands at 7,151. The active cases have increased by 127 since the previous update.
One hundred and forty-one out of the total cases are severe, while 55 other cases are considered critical.
Again, 428 new cases have been recorded in eight regions and at the Kotoka International Airport. In the Greater Accra Region alone, 235 new cases have been recorded.
These additional cases bring the total confirmed Covid-19 cases to 119,436. The Ghana Health Service, as of August 27, had discharged 111,249 individuals who had recovered from the virus.
All sixteen regions in the country are battling with active cases.
Meanwhile, the GHS has begun the administration of the second dose of AstraZeneca vaccines to persons 18 years and above.
The immunisation exercise is scheduled to end on Saturday, September 4.
Rotary to partner Ghana
In a related development, Rotary International, a humanitarian service organization, has availed itself to assist Ghana in its inoculation exercise for Covid-19.
The President of Rotary International, Shekhar Meehta, made this promise to President Nana Addo Akufo-Addo yesterday when he paid a courtesy call on him at Jubilee House, Accra, as part of his two-day working visit to Ghana.
The organization boasts of successful prosecution of polio vaccinations and the subsequent eradication of the disease from the entire universe, except two countries.
Addressing President Akufo-Addo, Mr Meehta indicated that, based on the experience of Rotary International with polio vaccinations around the world, it is best placed to help countries all over the globe address the issue of vaccine hesitancy among their populations.
This help, he said, is necessary, considering that the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic can only be won if the whole world gets vaccinated.
“Currently, Rotary is working a lot on Covid issues, and we are here to offer our help, if there is any way Rotary can help the government here in the vaccination process,” Shekhar Meehta said.
Welcoming
President Akufo-Addo welcomed the gesture of Rotary International in offering to assist the country’s COVID-19 vaccination programme.
He noted that the focus Rotary is giving on Covid-19 and vaccinations is appropriate for these times.
“We are one of those who have been waiting for the serum institute to begin to export vaccines because we were hoping to vaccinate 20 million people by the end of the year. That would get us close to attaining immunity.
“Recently, there has been a shortage of the vaccine worldwide. Some have hoarded while others don’t have it, and we are trying to find our way out of it. That is the drama which we are living. Increasingly, the supply situation is getting better, but I think that having your voice in it for the equity and even distribution of vaccines around the world would also be a major contribution that you can make,” the President stated.
On the organisation’s contribution towards ending polio, President Akufo-Addo expressed happiness about the polio-free Africa drive, saying “it is a major achievement of your contribution to that fight. We appreciate it in Ghana.”
President Akufo-Addo further described Rotary as an important organisation for Ghana, given the role it plays in humanity.