Ghanaian security officials have launched a search for a Guinean national who tested positive for coronavirus and escaped from quarantine.
The patient, a woman is one of the ten Guineans who tested positive for the virus and were being quarantined in Tamale, north of the country.
The Ghanaian government had said it intends deporting the 10 Guinean nationals who have tested positive for COVID-19.
According to officials they arrived in Ghana before the country’s borders were closed to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
The government’s joint committee on health and security got them isolated after their presence in the country was revealed.
Ghana’s Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah told a news conference in Accra that all the Guineans subsequently tested positive for COVID-19 although they showed no signs.
But Ghana’s Northern Regional Minister, Salifu Saeed told journalists that the female patient, who is in her early 20s, jumped the wall of the quarantine facility.
She left behind her belongings on Monday and it is not yet known if the decision by the government to deport them triggered this.
Salifu Saeed said “I have not slept, with my security people. I directed that they should use all their networks to be able to track the persona down and get her.”
“Our people are safe… we are working very hard to ensure that the people don’t get too panicked. Nobody should be afraid because the security personnel are on top of the issues.”
Ghana ha so far recorded 152 cases of coronavirus with five deaths and two recoveries.
The country’s cities of Accra and Kumasi are now under lockdown to prevent further spread of the virus.
Source: Africafeeds.com