Coronavirus: 58 ‘exposed’ Begoro hospital staff, patients quarantined

Fifty–eight staff of the Begoro Government Hospital in the Eastern Region have been quarantined for having contact with a patient who tested positive for coronavirus.

Also quarantined are patients who were on admission with the coronavirus patient at the male ward of the hospital.

The affected persons are being quarantined in guesthouses and hotels. Samples of the affected staff and patients have been taken for testing at Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research.

The male ward of the hospital has since been shut down for fumigation.

A source at the hospital told Starr News, a 65-year-old mango seller on April 5, 2020 who tested positive of Covid-19 was first admitted at the male ward of the Begoro Government Hospital. He was thought to be suffering from tuberculosis but on the following day, he developed dyspnea and fever of about 41 degree celsius raising suspicions among management of the facility. His sample was taken to Noguchi and tested positive.

The situation has heightened fear in the community.

The district health directorate and other stakeholders are on grounds trying to contain the spread of the disease however, lack of personal Protective equipment is threatening their effort.

Coronavirus cases in the Eastern Region have increased from 25 cases to 32 in less than 24 hours of the last count.

This makes the region the third-highest with covid-19 cases in the country after Greater Accra and Ashanti Regions which have recorded 452 and 49 cases respectively.

The national tally stands at 566 with 8 deaths.