Ghana Records First Cases of Omicron Variant

A health worker monitors a screen showing a thermal scan to check the temperatures of passengers at the Kotoka International Airport in Accra, Ghana January 30, 2020. REUTERS/Francis Kokoroko

Ghana’s health ministry detected the country’s first cases of the Omicron COVID-19 variant on passengers who arrived at Accra international airport after sequencing carried out on Nov. 21, the head of the Ghana Health Service said on Wednesday.

According to Health Service director-general, Patrick Kuma-Aboagye the case originated from Nigeria and South Africa and officials have so far declined to specify how many positive cases were detected when the samples were sequenced on Nov. 21.

“The good thing is that among the community tests we’ve done so far, we haven’t seen any Omicron within the community of Ghana,” Kuma-Aboagye said during a vaccination awareness event on Wednesday.

Advertisement

He added, “the danger is if someone has Omicron and is incubating, it would not be found at the airport, so we still have to be extremely careful,”

December is Ghana’s most important tourism month and officials expect an influx of visitors from countries that have already detected the new variant, Kuma-Aboagye said.

Author

  • Deborah Akwa

    Deborah Akwa is a content writer with over four years of experience creating brand stories, editorial content, and audience-focused articles on topics like health, lifestyle, and entertainment.

    When she isn't writing, she is behind the scenes managing editorial operations and helping the content team work better.

    She loves using words to connect brands with their audiences. Outside of work, she enjoys watching movies and engaging in thought-provoking conversations.

Share the Story
Add a comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Advertisement

Keep Up to Date with the Most Important News

Weekly roundups. Sharp analysis. Zero noise.
The NewsCentral TV Newsletter delivers the headlines that matter—straight to your inbox, keeping you updated regularly.