With a new, never-seen-before strain in the country, and a spike in COVID-19 cases, Ghanaian hospitals, and the government fear an overload on the health sector.
Number of severe cases have gone up significantly in the last one week, rising from 18 to 120 while the number of cases have also more than doubled since January 5.
The Ghanaian President, Nana Akufo-Addo on Sunday said the health infrastructure of the country faces great pressure from COVID-19.
Although a peak is yet to be seen as in the first wave, the Ghanaian President said a similar occurrence may warrant another partial lockdown.
“Our COVID-19 treatment centres have gone from having zero patients to now being full because of the upsurge in infections,” the president said. “At this current rate … our healthcare infrastructure will be overwhelmed.”
The President also said the new variant has been found in travellers that arrived the country recently. He added that how work is required in the country will help control the spread of the virus.
“Work is ongoing to determine the presence and extent of spread of the new variants in the general population,” Akufo-Addo said.
Ghana has recorded 57,714 cases of COVID-19, with 346 deaths reported, leaving the case fatality rate at 0.5%. More than 55,000 of the patients have also been discharged after testing negative for the virus.
Akufo-Addo also assured that a vaccination plan is being established by the nation’s health handlers.