Ghana: Government launches “Gh COVID-19 Tracker App” to boost the fight against COVID-19!

An app that would enable health practitioners to track COVID-19 cases in the country was launched today in Accra with a call on the citizenry to download in complementing government efforts in the fight against the ailment.

Dubbed “Gh COVID-19 Tracker App” it would among other things help the government in identifying and tracing persons who have come into contact with those infected with COVID-19.

Speaking at the launch, the Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia stated that the app would easily track people with the virus, and those who had come into contact with infected persons.

In addition, he said the app was useful in quarantine reliability, thus would boost government’s fight against the novel coronavirus in Ghana.

The App, Dr Bawumia explained is user friendly and free to download on mobile software application (Google play store)

He reiterated government’s commitment to make the App available on Android and iOS platforms for downloads later this week.

Mrs Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, the Minister of Communications on her part said Ghana was one of the few countries to deploy such a tracker to mitigate the spread of the virus.

She noted that countries including South Korea, Taiwan, China, Israel, United States of America and other European countries used that tracker to help medical practitioners to come up with accurate data to discharge their duties efficiently and effectively.

Mrs Owusu-Ekuful said her outfit was working assiduously with other agencies to beef up strategies in pursuing aggressive testing to help curb the spread.

She urged the citizenry to embrace the opportunity to access the app, stressing that those who did not have smart phones should dial *769# and follow the prompt voice which comes in five different local language to assist them in detecting the ailment as early as possible before symptoms begin to show up.

About COVID-19 Tracker App

The App will help track telephone numbers of people who have recently been to certain countries around the world and those they have come in contact with at a particular event.

The Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) will use the information to determine who to provide an extra layer of screening and those they will have to quarantine.

The App will also help in checking for COVID-19 symptoms and pertinent risk factors as well as high risk areas and give needed information to help save lives.

It will also answer COVID-19 questions as well as provide digital assistance.

Enhance Contact Tracing

Ghana has 450 teams across the country to trace and test persons believed to come in contact with infected individuals.

So far about 37, 954 persons have been tested, only second to South Africa with a higher number according to the Vice President, Dr. Bawumia.

“In terms of testing of the Coronavirus, Ghana, on the basis of the available data we have, is in the top 20 of countries in the world and on the basis of this data too, in Africa, we are number one per capita in terms of testing. In terms of numbers of tests, South Africa is number one and we are second but in terms of testing per capita in terms of testing per our population, we are leading in the continent.

“We have tested 37,954 people and if you look at Africa alone, the data seems to show the total number of tests is under 10,000 and Ghana has tested 37,954 of the said number and we have increased the testing centres to six but what is significant with Ghana’s approach is we are chasing the virus and trying to get ahead of it,” he added.

COVID-19 cases in Ghana hit 566

Ghana has 566 cases of COVID-19 with eight death and 17 recoveries

This comes after the Ghana Health Service confirmed 158 new cases on Sunday, April 12, 2020.

So far 10 out of 16 regions have recorded COVID-19 cases.

BY JOYCELINE NATALLY CUDJOE