Ghana’s parliament closes due to COVID19 outbreak

Last updated on September 11th, 2021 at 08:00 am

Ghana’s parliament speaker Alban Bagbin announced on Tuesday that lawmakers would be on vacation until March 2 to enable “disinfection and sanitation” as the spread of Covid’s disease is at a critical juncture and some of the MPs have been hit by the Coronavirus pandemic. Ghana’s parliament has closed for at least three weeks following an increase in coronavirus cases of lawmakers and staff with at least 17 members of parliament and 151 support workers infected with the coronavirus.

Ghana in West Africa has officially confirmed a total of 73,003 cases of Covid-19, including 482 deaths making it the most affected African country with the exception of South Africa. Schools reopened in January after being closed for ten months, and formal education in the country came to a standstill. President Nana Akufo-Addo warned earlier this month that there was a need to reverse the lockdown and close educational institutions and reduce social unrest. Land and sea borders have been closed since March, while beaches, nightclubs, cinemas, and bars remain closed due to the spread of the infection.

READMORE: The death toll of COVID19 in Africa exceeds 95,000

The speaker of parliament said he had consulted with the leadership and decided to adjourn the assembly for three weeks as the disease was spreading rapidly and some lawmakers had contracted it. Bagbin, adding that the parliamentary nominating committee will continue to consider members of the cabinet nominated by President Nana Akufo-Addo, who has been reinstated elected in December.

The disease is currently spreading across Africa during the second wave of Covid 19 disease, with preliminary vaccines being imported and the exact outcome of the vaccine didn’t yet determined. Ghana has been reduced to major social gatherings such as funerals, weddings and parties. Border and land borders have been closed until March 2020 while beaches, nightclubs, cinemas and bars remain closed.