Two Ghanaian lawmakers and thirteen staff of the country’s parliament have tested positive for coronavirus, according to local media reporting.
Local news portal Starr FM had earlier reported about this development but it was quickly denied by the parliamentary service.
In a statement the Ghanaian parliament said its attention “has been drawn to reports by Starrfmonline that two Members and thirteen Staff of Parliament have tested positive for COVID 19 after the mandatory testing exercise undertaken by Parliament last week.
Parliament would like to state categorically that the results of the tests are not yet known and so the report by Starrfmonline is not true. Parliament would, therefore, like to urge Starrfmonline to withdraw the said report and update its audience with the relevant information to the effect that the results from the tests are unknown to Parliament.”
But a senior member of parliament, Minority Chief Whip Mubarak Mohammed Muntaka has confirmed the reports of two Parliamentarians and 13 staff testing positive for the virus.
He told another local news outlet Joy FM that parliament lied in its denial of the earlier report of some MPs and staffers catching the virus.
He said the infected persons had been informed of their status after a mass testing of all members and staffers.
Last week Africa Feeds reported that the speaker of Ghana’s parliament Professor Aaron Michael Oquaye directed all legislators to be tested for the novel Coronavirus.
He gave the directive at the resumption of the law making house in the capital Accra. The directive for testing also affected staff of the parliamentary service.
The speaker said the compulsory testing is to compliment other measures rolled out to stop the spread of the virus.
Source: Africafeeds.com
