COVID-19: Ghana Closes Schools, Bans Gatherings

Ghana on Monday announced the closure of all schools and universities and suspended public events to stop the spread of coronavirus as a string of African nations imposed tighter restrictions to stem the spread of the global pandemic.

President Nana Akufo-Addo made the declaration when addressing the West African Nations that the authorities were shutting schools and universities “until further notice”.

In his address, he also said Public gatherings including conferences, religious services, sports matches, and political rallies have also been suspended for four weeks.

Akufo-Addo on Sunday also announced that it would start barring entry to the country from Tuesday for non-Ghanaian citizen or resident “who, within the last 14 days, has been to a country that has recorded at least 200 cases”.

The move came as the authorities reported a rise in the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 from two to six, with the new cases all arrivals from abroad.

Numerous nations in sub-Saharan Africa including Senegal, Kenya, and South Africa have begun imposing entry restrictions or closing schools as the continent scrambles to halt the spread of the deadly virus.