Last Sunday, President Nana Akufo-Addo addressed the nation for the 25th time on measures his administration has put in place to fight Covid-19.
In that address, the President indicated that Ghana has begun the process of digitising Covid-19 Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test. He said this technology platform being used at Kotoka International Airport is based on standards set by the Africa Trust Travel and ECOWAS Biomars and directed that all travellers arriving in Ghana must have test results or certificates bearing the trusted travel or biomars codes to be acceptable at KIA.
According to the President, the move to digitise the PCR test is first all to prevent foreigners from entering the country with fake Covid-19 PCR certificates.
“To prevent fake Covid-19 PCR certificates being used to enter the country, Government, through the Ministry of Health, has begun the process of digitising PCR test results.”
We at The Chronicle commend the government for this initiative to digitise the PCR testing in order to prevent fake Covid-19 test entering the country. It is true this measure is not hundred percent surety but it will really deter those who would want to do so.
Covid-19 has affected travels and businesses hence people are willing to go any mile just to travel and strike their business deals at the expense of their health and safety. We therefore commend the government for this PCR digitisation initiative.
Ghana has made gains in its fight against Covid-19 and we must do all we can to protect it sacredly. Currently, Ghana has seen a remarkable reduction in active cases, i.e., persons who currently have the virus, from five thousand, four hundred and forty-four (5,444) persons as at 26th February, to one thousand, three hundred and fourteen (1,314), as at May 11.
Our rate of infection has also dropped significantly from four hundred (400) as of 26th of February to less than one hundred (100) now while the number of persons who have recovered from the virus has also increased from seventy-seven thousand, nine hundred and seventy-two (77,972) to ninety-one thousand, one hundred and forty-six (91,146) within the same period. Cumulatively, the country has also conducted one million, one hundred and twenty-one thousand, one hundred and sixty-eight (1,121,168) COVID tests.
Based on these gains, it’s important that we close all the pores that are likely to pave way for a rise in the pandemic again. Like the President said in his address, the pandemic is still causing havoc to some countries and until all countries have rid themselves of the virus, and have achieved herd immunity, none is safe.
The other reason the President stated for the introduction of the digitised PCR test is also to ensure ease of verification and this is also laudable.
We all can attest to how some transactions in the country have been made easier through digitisation.
Previously, one had to go through a lot of difficulty to obtain driver’s license, passport, renewing of NHIS card and birth certificates because they were being done manually which involved a lot of paper works. But through digitisation, all these can be done with ease and at less cost.
Through digitisation, Ghana now has a database that will be the anchor for all transactions in the future providing a unique identity to all individuals. This has been made possible through the issuance of biometric national ID cards.
We therefore applaud the government for digitising the Covid-19 test and we hope it would be carried out well for the betterment of the country.
The post Editorial: Digitising PCR test commendable appeared first on The Chronicle Online.
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