Ghana’s Akufo-Addo and vice donate three-month salaries to COVID-19 battle

Ghana’s president, Nana Akufo-Addo and his Vice, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia have donated three months of their salaries to the country’s battle against the deadly coronavirus pandemic.

President Akufo-Addo announced the establishment of a COVID-19 Fund in a Friday night address to the nation in which he also declared partial lockdown of the country. The fund which will be headed by Ghana’s former Chief Justice is to receive public contributions towards the battle to stem the spread of the virus in Ghana.

Ghana’s COVID-19 confirmed cases are 141 as of Sunday, March 29, 2020, including five deaths, according to the health authorities. The Ghana Health Services’ update stated that 2,519 persons had been tested for COVID-19 in Ghana.

One thousand, two hundred and seventy-six persons from the aforementioned figure were persons under mandatory quarantine with 1,243 from routine surveillance activities.

“I am announcing tonight the establishment of a COVID-19 Fund, to be managed by an independent board of trustees, and chaired by former Chief Justice, Sophia Akuffo, to receive contributions and donations from the public to assist in the welfare of the needy and the vulnerable. I have directed the Controller and Accountant General to pay my next three months’ salary, i.e. April, May, and June, into this Fund,” President Akufo-Addo said.

“To support the kind gesture by the President of directing the Controller and Accountant General to pay his April, May, and June salaries to Covid-19 Fund, I am donating three months of my salary starting from April to support the fight against Covid-19,” Dr. Bawumia also added.

President Akufo-Also announced a partial lockdown of Ghana’s capital, Accra and Kumasi, the West African country’s second-largest city effective 1 am on Monday, March 30, 2020.

The move, the President stated is to help curb the spread of COVID-19. “… Effective 1 am on Monday, 30th March… I have imposed, pursuant to the powers granted the President of the Republic, under the Imposition of Restrictions Act, 2020 (Act 1012), restrictions on movement of persons in the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area (GAMA, which includes Awutu Senya East), and the Greater Kumasi Metropolitan Area and contiguous districts, for a period of two (2) weeks, subject to review.

“It will give us the opportunity to try to halt the spread of the virus, and scale-up effectively contact tracing of persons who have come into contact with infected persons, test them for the virus, and, if necessary, quarantine and isolate them for treatment, should they prove to have the virus,” he added.