Three Ghanaians abroad die of COVID-19

By Samira Larbie, GNA 

Accra, March 18, GNA - Madam Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, has confirmed the death of three Ghanaians abroad from COVID-19.

The Minister was, however, uncertain about the full identities of the deceased but said two of them died in Italy, while the other person, in Copenhagen, Denmark.

She added that one of the deceased was aged about 69 years or more.

Madam Botchwey was speaking to journalists outside the Chamber of Parliament, on Wednesday.

However, the Foreign Minister said, the situation was not critical and would not require the evacuation of Ghanaians in hard-hit countries so they had been advised to take good care of themselves.

"We have actually advised people [not to travel back] even our officers and those who have finished their tour of duty and are supposed to come back home.

"We have asked them to stay on...We have given them a month. If it is still raging after a month we will give them more time," she told journalists.

Ghana has recorded seven cases – six of them Ghanaians who returned from trips in Europe and the United States of America.

So far, no one has died in Ghana. But outside the continent, the death toll has been climbing daily.

Burkina Faso, on Wednesday, recorded its first death, which is also the first fatality in Sub-Saharan Africa.

It involved a 62-year-old woman who was also suffering from diabetes. She had been in intensive care.

The death rate is higher among older persons, while people with weak immune systems are the most susceptible to infections and deaths.

Meanwhile, globally, reported cases have reached 208,349 cases, and there have been 8,272 deaths.

A total of 82,902 have so far recovered from the virus, according to worldometer.infos.org report.

GNA

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