Alban Bagbin orders MPs to get tested for Covid-19 by close of today

The Speaker said every lawmaker must make sure that he or she takes the COVID-19 test by the end of today, Tuesday, January 26, 2021.

Ghana’s legislators began taking Coronavirus tests last week, however, not all of them have partaken in the exercise.

Addressing the MPs earlier today, Mr. Bagbin said it was important for all lawmakers to undertake the COVID-19 tests.

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“Honourable members, I humbly urge that we all take this opportunity seriously and go through it by the end of today,” he said, as quoted by Citinewsroom.

“We arranged with the Noguchi institute to use three days for the testing exercise. The three days are over, but I am reliably informed that a number of our members have not yet taken the opportunity to either do the screening or even to undergo the COVID-19 test.”

Ghana’s Coronavirus situation seemed to be improving towards the end of 2020 but there’s been a spike in cases in recent weeks.

Currently, the country has recorded 3,613 active cases while 372 persons have died in the process, according to data from the Ghana Health Service.

Meanwhile, Information Minister-designate, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, has warned that tighter restrictions could be imposed following the rising number of COVID-19 cases.

According to him, the possibility of further restrictions should be anticipated if the situation does not improve soon.

Mr. Oppong Nkrumah bemoaned the recent spike in COVID-19 cases, saying Ghana is currently averaging 200 positive cases daily.

“Yes, there is a possibility of some more restriction being introduced especially with regard to how this trend is going. If these numbers keep rising where the average daily increases to 210- 250 that means in five days we will be hitting about 1000 plus,” he said at a press conference on Monday.

“So if it continues, then as the President himself articulated; then we are heading for more restrictions and if it means reviewing some of the legal instrument [we will do so].”