168 Test Positive For COVID-19 In Ghana’s Parliament

The Ghanian parliament has been shut down until March 2nd after an outbreak of COVID-19 among lawmakers and staff.

Speaker of the house, Alban Bagbin said on Tuesday that 17 of the 275 legislators and 151 of 500 staff members contracted the coronavirus.

Previously, a rise in the cases of Coronavirus led the parliament to reduce sittings to only Tuesdays and Thursdays. However, it is on a total shutdown now.

He also urged other staff and parliament members to get tested for COVID-19 if they have not done so.

The Speaker noted that the decision to halt activities at the parliament was after speaking with parliament’s leadership.

“I have, in consultation with leadership, decided that sitting of the House be adjourned for three weeks,” the speaker announced.

However, the parliament appointments committee would continue with the scheduled meeting for vetting cabinet nominees of President Nana Akufo-Addo on February 10.

Lawmakers and Staffs also would need to resubmit themselves for testing again after two weeks, Ghana Broadcasting Corporation report.

Ghana has confirmed over 73,000 cases and 482 deaths since the report of their first case in March last year.