Sammy Gyamfi lashes at Gabby Otchere-Darko over Covid-19 fees at Kotoka
- NDC communication officer, Sammy Gyamfi says the antigen tests must be free
- He says the $150 charge at the airports is a rip-off to Ghanaians
- Ghana is expecting some 2.4 million vaccine doses by March
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Communications officer for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Sammy Gyamfi, has called the $150 antigen test charge at the Kotoka International Airport a rip-off.
Taking his turn on News File on the Joy News Channel on Multi TV, Sammy Gyamfi told Gabby Otchere Darko that government had no excuse to give regarding the reason for going for such an amount.
“We are talking about something that has become an essential tool for risk minimization in the fight against Covid. An essential tool for slowing down the spread of the virus, here we’re talking about testing. And so the affordability of that tool is very important because now it’s become an essential service. And that is why in some countries, these tests are done for people for free,” he argued.
Source: Twitter
Vaccination
The Ghana Medical Association has revealed that more children and babies are contracting Covid-19. With cases increasing, there are some concerns for vulnerable populations as children to be vaccinated of the pandemic.
Speaking on Joy News Newsfile, Director-General of the Ghana Standards Authority, Dr. Alexander Dodoo insisted that despite the surge in Covid-19 cases, children, lactating mothers and pregnant women will not be vaccinated.
He further revealed that those with a weak immune system, allergies and underlying health conditions will not be inoculated as well.
Ghana is expecting about 19 million vaccine doses by the end of March 2020. Authorities have assured that the vaccine will be put to good use especially as cases continue to skyrocket.
Payment of fines
The Accra and Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly together with the Ghana Police Service, are imposing fines of 20 cedis on road users and traders who flout the mandatory mask-wearing mandate ordered by the President.
A Facebook post by a journalist with the Business and Financial Times, Osei Amankwah, shows a picture of the receipt acknowledging receipt of a 20 cedi fine imposed on one Dela.
So far, over 100,000 Ghanaians across the country have been arrested in a swoop by police officials for flouting the directive.
Ghana’s urgent current Covid-19 situation
Ghana has so far been added to the list of highly risky countries with a variant of the pandemic.
President Akufo Addo has introduced new restrictions - all wedding, parties and outdoor events are banned.
The Police survive has also been deployed to clamp down on Ghanaians flouting the mandatory mask-wearing directive.
Meanwhile, Ghana is expected to receive its first batch of 2.4 million vaccines by March, This will spark the first batch of inoculation even as the President aims to inoculate the entire population of 30 million.
Figures from the Ministry of Health shows a spike in daily numbers since December – this has been linked to indiscipline, flouting of covid-19 protocols and the elections.
Already, the Ghana Medical Association has warned the public that “their health is in their own hands” and hospitals get overstretched to deal with the surge of the virus.
Even as government races to curtail the spread of the virus, suspicions of a suppression of Covid-19 data keeps rising.
Journalists and some medical professionals are doubting the figures being churned by the Ministry of Health as they argue that they (the figures) are in sharp contrast with the reality at various medical facilities.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
