Omicron variant detected in 4 diplomats of Ghanaian origin - Former Botswana health minister

Omicron variant detected in 4 diplomats of Ghanaian origin - Former Botswana health minister

  • Botswana's health minister says four diplomats from Ghana detected the Omicron variant
  • The doctor wonders why Ghana and West Africa have not been issued a travel ban
  • Director-General of the Ghana Health Service denounced this saying there is no such case

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The health minster in Botswana has disclosed that four diplomats from Ghana who landed in the Southern African country tested positive for the new Omicron variant of the Coronavirus earlier detected in South Africa.

Dr. Alfred Rabashemi Madigele who has condemned the treatment of South Africans by the international world over the new virus wonders why same treatment is not given to other West African countries like Ghana.

Omicron variant detected in 4 diplomats of Ghanaian origin - Former Botswana health minister
Omicron variant detected in 4 diplomats of Ghanaian origin - Former Botswana health minister. Photo: Getty Images
Source: Getty Images

“Why are we not telling the world that this variant was detected in 4 diplomats of Ghanaian origin? Why are we not telling the world to not only target us, but target Ghana and other western African countries?,” he posted on his Facebook post.

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So far, the Ministry of Health has denounced claims of the emergence of the new variant in Ghana. Director-General of the ministry, Dr. Patrick Kumah Aboagye, told the media that Ghana has not recorded any such variant as at now and that testing regimes at the Kotoka International Airport are being heightened.

“Currently, they have a bunch of about a hundred and sixty (160) which they’re working on now, but there’s been no indication of Omicron in Ghana. So all those messages flying around, it’s not true. There’s no case in Ghana”, Dr. Kuma-Aboagye revealed.

Europe has imposed some travel bans on some six South African countries including South Africa and Botswana after the former revealed the detection of the new variant. This move have been rejected and condemned by the World Health Organization as well as the International Air Travel Association (IATA).

Read also

Omicron: 7 cases of Community spread of new COVID variant recorded - GHS

Source: YEN.com.gh

Authors:
Nii Ayi Ayitey avatar

Nii Ayi Ayitey Nii Ayi Ayitey, aka Charles Ayitey, is an experienced journalist who covered Current Affairs news for Yen.com.gh from 2015-2021. He also worked for such companies as Multimedia Group Limited, Scooper, and Face2Face Africa. Nii Ayi Ayitey holds a Bachelor's degree in Communication and Media Studies from the Ghana Institute of Journalism (2015). Currently, he's studying at UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism.