Update: 136 suspected cases of COVID 19 test negative in Ghana

One hundred and thirty-six (136) suspected cases of COVID 19 tested by the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR) and Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research (KCCR) in Ghana have all tested negative.

The 136 suspected cases are part of a total of 143 cases tested in the country as of March 17 2020.

This is according to the governments official website dedicated to updating Ghanaians on the novel coronavirus disease, http://ghanahealthservice.org/covid19/.

So far, seven cases have tested positive with the latest case being a 35-year-old male Ghanaian citizen, who returned to Accra from France within the past 14 days.

“This is another imported case, which brings the total number of confirmed cases to seven (7). The case is being managed in isolation and he is in stable condition,” the website said.

Contact tracing

With regard to contact tracing, a total of 350 contacts have been identified and are being followed up. Two of the contacts who developed symptoms, had their samples tested but they came out to be negative. Currently, there is no death and all the seven (7) confirmed COVID-19 cases are being managed in isolation and are in stable condition.

Laboratory Resources for testing

The government says Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research and Kumasi Center for Collaborative Research have been equipped with resources to continue testing of suspected cases.

Meanwhile, the government is expected to hold a press briefing later in the day to give the most recent update on the disease.