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Ghana Records a New Variant of Coronavirus


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January 18, 2021 at 10:05 AM

Ghana has recorded a new variant of the coronavirus, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has announced. The new strain, according to President Akufo-Addo, was recorded at the Kotoka International Airport following tests conducted on some travellers.

Delivering his 22nd address on the coronavirus pandemic on Sunday, January 17, 2021, President Akufo-Addo said as a result of the new discovery, safety measures have been enhanced at the airport to ensure that the spread is controlled.

“Recent genomic sequencing undertaken by our scientists have established that some arriving passengers tested positive for new variants of COVID-19. These passengers have all been isolated.”

President Akufo-Addo disclosed that contract tracing is being done to know the extent to which the new strain has permeated the Ghanaian populace.

“Furthermore, work is ongoing to determine the presence and extent of spread of the new variants in the general population.”

In his 21st address, Nana Akufo-Addo announced enhanced measures at the airport to ensure that a new strain does not spread rapidly in the country.

“As of 1 January 2021, a total of seven hundred and twelve (712) positive cases out of one hundred and eighteen thousand, two hundred and seventy-eight (118, 278) tests conducted have been recorded among international arrivals at the Kotoka International Airport.

"Indeed, the month of December alone recorded three hundred and eighty-seven (387) cases. The positivity rate among international arrivals rose from 0.26% in September to 0.93% in December".

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