Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum the Deputy Education Minister says universities will continue their lessons from their online sessions when school finally resumes.
He said only basic and secondary school students will have the benefit of going over everything they have learnt so far with regards to the online and TV sessions.
When schools were closed due to COVID-19, the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service designed online platforms to help basic and secondary school students learn while at home. The universities also went on that same path and created platforms for their students and give them daily lessons.
Many complained about the initiative and said accessibility was a problem, they sited lack or unstable internet as the main cause. However, Dr Adutwum says the basic and secondary school students will have the opportunity of been taught same lessons again when school resumes but the university students will not benefit from that because lessons will continue from where they stopped with the online session.
“We are not going to have a syllabus being taught to all children, we will pick up from where we left off, I want to assure parents that if your child is at home and for some reasons they are not getting access to TV or the online lessons don’t be bothered because when they come back, they will pick up from where they left off. These lessons are just an intervention, it is not like the universities, if you happen to be at the university and you don’t go online to learn you will miss out because they won’t go back, they will do promotion, assessment and other things, so theirs is a continues process to finish the syllabus”. Following the President’s directive for the shutting down of schools and universities across the country and the further extension of the ban on public gathering, the Ministry of Education advised more students to take advantage of the various learning platforms it has made available.
It has been 43 days since students attended school across the country, a situation that is a source of concern for some parents. Dr Adutwum said the situation at hand is very serious thus the resumption of school depends on the existing crisis at hand so students should take advantage of this to prevent learning loss. Ghana’s COVID-19 cases as at April 26, 2020, was 1,550 with 150 recoveries and 11 deaths.
Source : By Abdul-Rahman Musah –
Aidoo-Richard Sagacious https://www.nkaros.data.blog Aidoo Richard Sagacious is a script writer, blogger and a founder of nkaros.data.blog/ (Nkaros Updates). For any associate, contact and interact with him on ….. +233553136439 / +23323 569 9136
Ghana’s total deaths from the novel COVID-19 now stands at 16 according to the Ghana Health Service’s latest update on Tuesday, April 28. It means five more people have died since President Nana Akufo-Addo addressed the nation on Sunday, April 26 when it was 11.
Addressing the press in Accra on Tuesday, the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Patrick Kuma-Aboagye said Ghana’s case count now stands at 1,671.
The number of recovered persons stand at 188 and are yet to be discharged. Six are critically ill, he said.
READ ALSO: Muslim community donates 130,000 cedis to COVID-19 National Trust Fund The regional breakdown of the cases are as follows: Greater Accra Region – 1,433 Ashanti Region – 84 Eastern Region – 57 Upper East Region – 18 Oti Region – 17 Central Region – 17 Northern Region – 13 Volta Region – 11 Western Region – 9 Upper West Region – 8 North East Region – 2 Western North Region – 1 Savannah Region – 0 Bono Region – 0 Ahafo Region – 0 Bono East Region – 0
5 things you should not do when meeting your partner’s parents for the first time
Meeting your partner’s parents for the first time can be intimidating.
It is a major step in the relationship, hence, the first impression can be a lasting impression, potentially a lot riding on it. How you ensure you don’t come off like some mannerless person during this first encounter is important.
Here are some five things you should not do when meeting your partner’s parents for the first time
Glued to your phoneAvoid being on your phone, texting, checking your email or browsing social media. Your spouse’s parents might feel dismissed and think that you are not interested in getting to know them.
Lie to make yourself look good Being fake instead of who you truly are is a mistake that will upset your partner’s parents. You’re also likely to be found out at some point and possibly when it could really hurt your relationship. If your partner has accepted the kind of person you are, then his/ her parents should be able to accept you too.
Publicly display affection Although public displays of affection can be a wonderful thing, there is an appropriate time and place for it. This does not mean you have to become cold, distant and robotic, but it does mean you need to know the audience you are in front of.
Spark controversial topics for discussion Bringing up controversial topics like religion, politics or sex is a no go area. Even if you definitely know that your beliefs are in line with your partner’s parents, some people still consider it to be in poor taste to bring it up. Better get to know them more before raising such topics
Talk only about yourselfDespite the fact that your partner’s parents are probably very interested in getting to know you, they also do not want to spend the entire time listening to your life story. Try to find a balance in the conversation by also asking them questions to show interest in getting to know them as well.
5 things you should not do when meeting your partner’s parents for the first time
Aidoo-Richard Sagacious https://www.nkaros.data.blog Aidoo Richard Sagacious is a script writer, blogger and a founder of nkaros.data.blog/ (Nkaros Updates). For any associate, contact and interact with him on ….. +233553136439 / +23323 569 9136
The novel coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, continues to spread like wildfire across the globe. The disease which was first reported in Wuhan city of China has now affected 210 countries and territories around the world and two international conveyances.
The world has recorded over 2.4 million cases and more than 170,000 deaths since its outbreak. Ghana recorded its first cases of the pandemic on March 12, 2020. These were imported cases, meaning the persons who tested positive travelled into the country with the disease. In the first two cases for Ghana, the victims came from Norway and Turkey.
READ ALSO: Fighting COVID-19: Firm, decisive leadership exactly what Ghanaians need at the moment Since Ghana reported its first cases, a lot has changed and happened. The COVD-19 has impacted the country’s health sector, employment, research and above all the economy. In all of these, there are good, bad and ugly consequences. But like the age-old saying, “treasure the good, and be prepared for the bad and the ugly”. By now, you are wondering what good could have emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic which is taking the lives of thousands in the world. Well, in Ghana some bright spots we will be explored in this article.
The Good
Coronavirus COVID-19 research
The undisputed truth is that Ghana is likely to come out from this pandemic with some defences against the virus. For example, a clear good that has emanated from COVID-19 in Ghana is that scientists at the University of Ghana have successfully sequenced genomes of SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the global COVID-19 pandemic, obtaining important information about the genetic composition of viral strains in 15 of the confirmed cases in Ghana. According to the findings of the two Ghanaian scientists, “ the successful establishment of this sequencing capability at the University of Ghana is a significant milestone in Ghana’s response to the pandemic, as it will strengthen surveillance for tracking mutations of the virus and aid in the tracing of the sources of community infections in people with no known contact with confirmed cases.” Again, scientists in Ghana, like their colleagues around the world, are searching for a vaccine for the virus. READ ALSO: COVID-19: A lockdown and curfew will be imposed – Oppong Nkrumah warns Ghanaians In essence, by the time this pandemic will be gone, Ghana and the world will be armed with better defenses against the next attack. Another good or positive of the COVID-19 in Ghana is that government has had to pay attention to the country’s health sector and facilities. Ghana is now making available disease treatment centers in some of its medical facilities in the country. In his last update on Sunday, April 26, 2020, HE Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo also outlined plans of building 88 hospitals, a healthcare delivery problem that got exposed by the coronavirus. The pandemic has also drawn the attention of Ghanaians to the importance and essence of keeping good personal hygiene. So by the time all of this is over, Ghanaians will all continue to wash their hands with soap under running water, as well as continue to live by the WHO’s measures to help prevent the spread of viral diseases. The other good news is that social distancing is opening a whole new breed of human interaction that will likely change the way we behave forever. On the good side of things, Ghana so far appears to be doing ‘relatively well’ in containing the virus, with no exponential growth in new infections. The measures adopted by the country in fighting the virus including closure of its borders, extensive testing and a ban on social gatherings plus a 3-week lockdown seem to be working so far.
The Bad
Ridge Hospital
The first bad is how unprepared and unequipped Ghana’s health sector is. In the heat of the COVID-19 in Ghana, it became obvious the country’s health facilities lacked certain basic things, like the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) needed to execute tasks in most cases. Healthcare workers rely on personal protective equipment to protect themselves and their patients from being infected and infecting others.
The shortages and unavailability of PPEs left doctors, nurses and other frontline workers dangerously ill-equipped to cater for COVID-19 patients, due to limited access to supplies such as gloves, medical masks, respirators, goggles, face shields, gowns, and aprons. Another downside is the congestion in our spaces, in relation to where and how the majority of Ghanaians live. Social distancing is one key measure to observe if we want to curb the spread of the deadly coronavirus. But the architecture of how some of our public structures and spaces, like the markets, have clearly shown that Ghana’s struggles with enforcing social distancing. Also, the three-week lockdown spelled bad news for the economy and employment.
Another bad that the COVID-19 has revealed is how Ghana’s informal economy is structured. The partial lockdown in Accra, Tema, Kumasi, and Kasoa literally brought stress on the country’s economy and on the lives of majority of Ghanaians. Our economy stopped growing and might be heading toward a significant dip before it picks up again. READ ALSO: How Ghana could be spending $350K a day to aid the spread of coronavirus It is estimated that the negative economic consequences of COVID-19 will continue to manifest long after the virus is brought under control. Despite Ghana not being alone in this, the large informal sector of its economy made the lockdown process a difficult one.
The Ugly
How Ghana could be spending $350K a day to aid the spread of coronavirus
Ghana may be one of the counties in the world with a very insignificant number of deaths from the COVID-19 so far. However, every life lost is a big deal and families and loved ones always feel the pain most. Apart from that, it has been revealed that bodies of people who succumb to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) will not be released to the bereaved families for burial. Rather, the state will take charge of the burial within the shortest possible time after the death, in consultation with the bereaved family. This is because the infection is highly contagious and the virus remains active for a while after a victim passes on. With Ghana’s culture around the dead and the burden this puts on the state, this can’t get any worse! Another ugly thing that comes to mind about COVID-19 in Ghana is the poor implementation of government’s initiative to feed the poor and vulnerable during the lockdown. With the breaking of all social distance rules, Ghana could be up for a real challenge if the virus was by any means spread during a time of helping the vulnerable. My colleague, Kwame Boakye captures it succinctly in his article; ” How Ghana could be spending $350K a day to aid the spread of coronavirus”.
The President on Sunday evening gave an update on national efforts to stem the spread of the coronavirus in Ghana, the eighth of such exercise since March. Nana Akufo-Addo said in the televised address that he took many of the decisions after a meeting with the Council of State and other key stakeholders. We present below eight poignant points from this eighth update.
1- Extension of the ban on public gatherings Nana Akufo-Addo extended a two-week ban on public and social gatherings, including funerals and religious activities, by two more weeks. He said the decision to lift the lockdown imposed on some parts of the country but ban social gathering is supported by data.
“I have, accordingly, by Executive Instrument, extended for another two (2) weeks the suspension of all public and social gatherings, as set out in E.I 64 of 15th March, 2020, effective tomorrow, 1am, Monday, 27th April,” he announced.
2 – Construction of 100-bed hospitals in selected districts across the country The President acknowledged during the address that the pandemic has exposed wide gaps in Ghana’s health infrastructure and therefore announced a plan to begin constructing hospitals in some 88 districts in the country without hospitals.
He believes the hospitals will be among the lasting legacies of the pandemic in Ghana. The government, said is committed to making a major investment in Ghana’s healthcare infrastructure – touted his plan as the largest in Ghana’s history.
“We will, this year, begin constructing 88 hospitals in the districts without hospitals. It will mean ten in Ashanti, nine in Volta, nine in Central, eight in Eastern, seven in Greater Accra, seven in Upper East, five in Northern, five in Oti, five in Upper West, five in Bono, four in Western North, four in Western, three in Ahafo, three in Savannah, two in Bono East and two in North-Easter regions. Each of them, will be a quality, standard design 100-bed hospital with accommodation for doctors, nurses and other health workers and the intention is to complete them within a year,” the President said.
3 – Muslims must stay at home The President also appealed to Muslims to stay home during the Ramadan period, doing this through what he calls “analogical deduction.” The breaking of the Ramadan fast is an intensely social activity in Muslim communities, however, in line with the ban on social gatherings, the President has appealed to them to shelve mass social gatherings that hold the potential of spreading the virus. “Muslim scholars agree that ‘rain’ represented danger, and, therefore, the prescription for Muslims to stay at home and pray in times of heavy rain is applicable to all life-threatening situations. I, thus, call on all Muslims to heed this prophetic admonishment to pray at home, so we can protect ourselves from the danger of Covid-19. This is in line with the counsel of the wise, devout Muslim scholar, the Chief Imam, Sheikh Dr. Osman Nuhu Sharubutu. I wish all Muslims Ramadan Mubarak,” he said.
4 – Ghanaians must stop helping foreigners to cross illegally into the country The President also revealed that some unpatriotic Ghanaians are assisting some foreign nationals from neighbouring states to cross illegally into the country following the closure of borders. He said even more unfortunate is fact that several of the West Africans, who have been arrested for crossing into Ghana illegally, have later tested positive for the virus.
“These are unpatriotic acts, and must stop. We cannot continue to allow a few persons, who are motivated by their own selfish, money-making interests, to endanger the lives of the rest of the population. Not only will persons who enter our country illegally be strictly dealt with, but so will Ghanaians who facilitate their entry. As I have said before, being a Ghanaian must mean that we look out for each other,” the President admonished.
5 – Wearing of facemasks made compulsory The President today confirmed what a section of the public saw coming: the wearing of facemasks is now compulsory. He said as of Saturday, April 25, 2020 the Health Minister, Kwaku Agyemang Manu, to issued directives to guide the production and mandatory wearing of face masks. “We should all familiarise ourselves with them, and apply them, as the Regional Co-ordinating Councils of the Greater Accra, Ashanti and Central Regions are demanding of their residents,” he said.
6 – Rare public appreciation of Melcom, Shoprite and Palace Supermarkets In a rare move, the President singled out top supermarkets in Ghana for enforcing social distancing protocols, the use of hand sanitizers and the wearing of masks for all patrons and staff. “I want to signal out supermarkets such as Melcom, Palace and Shoprite, in particular, for the excellent discipline they are maintaining in their enterprises across the country, and call upon all other enterprises, especially our market women, to emulate them. The example of markets in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis, where social distancing is being well observed, is an excellent one for market women all over the country,” he said.
7 – Ghana still in uncharted territory Despite the progress being made to hold the spread of the coronavirus, Ghana still remains in uncharged territory, the President said. “Clearly, we still have some way to go towards ridding ourselves of the virus. The truth is that this will be a long war, broken up into several battles,” the President announced. Ghana’s case count, as at Sunday, April 26, 2020 stands at 1,550 with 10 deaths and 11 deaths and 155 recoveries.
8 – Health workers are getting adequate supply of protective equipment The President gave an update on the efforts to keep frontline health workers incentivised when he announced that in addition to some relief packages given to all health workers, Government has enabled domestic production and supply of protective equipment to health workers to increase significantly.
“They have received, in recent days, nine hundred and five thousand, and thirty-one (905,031) nose masks, thirty one thousand, six hundred and thirty (31,630) medical scrubs, thirty one thousand, four hundred and seventy-two (31,472) gowns, forty six thousand, eight hundred and seventy (46,870) head covers, and eighty three thousand, five hundred (83,500) N-95 face masks,” he said.
Aidoo-Richard Sagacious https://www.nkaros.data.blog Aidoo Richard Sagacious is a script writer, blogger and a founder of nkaros.data.blog/ (Nkaros Updates). For any associate, contact and interact with him on ….. +233553136439 / +23323 569 9136
Italian sports teams can return to training on May 18
Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has announced that professional sports teams can resume training on May 18.
Serie A has been suspended since March 9, when the government ordered a nationwide lockdown. Twelve rounds remain in Serie A, plus four other games that were postponed from the 25th round. The Italian Cup was suspended after the first leg of the semi-finals.
The move means that Serie A could potentially resume playing games in June, though Conte said a decision on that will not be made until a later date.
Conte said the government will “work with experts” to monitor the situation and then later “evaluate whether there are the conditions to end the suspended championships”.
Conte also said that athletes will be free to resume training individually from May 4. That is the date when public parks and gardens will re-open and people will be able to visit relatives who live in the same region.
“Minister for Sport, Vincenzo Spadafora, will work alongside experts and the football league system to find a path that we have already started to define with individual training from May 4 and group sessions from May 18,” Conte said during a televised address to the nation on Sunday night.
“We will then evaluate if the conditions are in place to be able to complete the suspended leagues. If we do reach that conclusion, we’ll certainly do so while guaranteeing maximum safety measures. “We love our footballing idols and don’t want them to get ill.”
Conte also stressed the importance of maintaining social distancing practices once restrictions are eased
Traders in the nation are calling on President Nana Akufo-Addo to intervene on their behalf for the removal of penalty charges on their consignment. Speaking on behalf of traders in Ghana, executives from the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) and Used Clothes Dealers Association complained bitterly about the treatment meted out to them by the Ghana Shippers Authority.
In a studio discussion on Peace FM ‘s ” Kokrokoo” on Friday, April 24, 2020, the GUTA National Organizer and Greater Accra Regional Organizer, Clement Boateng and Jeff Kwame Gyasi respectively explained their predicament to host Kwami Sefa Kayi saying the Shippers Authority has refused to waive demurrage on commodities at the port.
Demurrage refers to the charges that the traders who hire a ship to convey their cargo pay to the shipowner for its delayed operations of loading or unloading. Technically, it is a is a form of liquidated damages or penalty for breaching the laytime which is the amount of time allowed in a voyage charter for the loading and unloading of cargo.
The GUTA executives noted that, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and particularly during the partial lockdown in the country, a lot of traders have been hit by declines in sales and therefore encountering huge financial challenges. Clement Boateng outlined some difficulties of the traders as they not being able to clear the goods from the port stating if a trader’s consignment remains at the port after seven (7) to 21 days, they are mandated to pay between 50 to 100 dollars on each consignment per day.
He further said some traders have not been able to clear their cargo because they have been locked away in foreign countries due to the ban on travel and it is exceedingly unfair on the part of the Shippers Authority to penalize them. The GUTA Greater Accra Regional Organizer added that the Association has noted the unfair treatment by the Shippers Authority regarding the collection of demurrage when they know the current situation in the economy.
” . . the Association and the Minister of Transport, Kweku Ofori Asiamah, have written to the Shippers Authority to remove the charges or penalties on the goods but to no avail . . . we, therefore, call on President Akufo-Addo to exercise his power over the Shippers Authority to refrain from such treatment because it is not own fault that the goods have delayed at the port but the pandemic has rendered us inactive to undertake any business transaction, ” Jeff Kwame Gyasi stated.
Kwaning Asante Boateng, the General Secretary of the Used Clothes Dealers Association, asked the President to ” just as he directed us to sleep and we slept for three weeks, he should intervene and make this issue very simple for us. He should come and tell them to waive all the demurrage and rent. He should direct the shipping lines to do that. I believe when he steps in, they will comply with his directive” .
Jeff Gyasi, Greater Accra Regional Organiser, Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) has asked Ghanaians to take their destinies into their own hands following the lifting of the three-month lockdown.https://nkaros.data.blog
According to him, the internet is filled with a lot of information regarding COVID-19 which is causing fear and panic and so there will be the need to use ‘common sense’
There have been news reports of patients who recovered from the deadly virus using herbs and steam baths.
Mr. Jeff Gyasi speaking to this on Peace FM morning show ‘ Kokrokoo’ sides with the use of orthodox medicine in treating COVID-19.https://nkaros.data.blog
According to him, so many researches and scientists continue to give conflicting reports on medication and other aspects of the virus.
“the sources and information keep changing and so we must use our common sense and get rid of the chunk. We must sift the information and take your destiny into your hands” he added.
However, Kwesi Pratt believes science is an integral part of the equation when it comes to dealing with the pandemic.https://nkaros.data.blog
According to him, “the virus is real and we should not joke with it. You can’t fight against science; it is very important”.
Mavis Ama Frimpong, a former Eastern Regional Minister, says President Akufo-Addo by an executive instrument can order the payment of monies to SSNIT contributors to ease the COVID-19-induced hardships.
“Social security contributions are essentially an insurance scheme made not just for pensions in old age before we die. They are also made to help contributors in times of adversities such as this. Not all will come out and queue for food, but as has been done in other countries like St. Lucia, I think a token payment to all contributors of a certain token sum over three months would have afforded many the assurance of feeding their families during this abnormal times,” Ex-prez Mahama is quoted to have said during his recent Digital Broadcast to the public.
But the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), in a statement reacting to the former president’s comments, said je is uniformed about their operations. According to them, it will be against the law to do that.
Contributing to a panel discussion on UTV ‘s Critical Issues , Mavis Frimpong said since we’re not in normal times, the President by an act of Parliament or an executive instrument direct SSNIT to do as the former President suggested.
” If you do exclusion that is what happens…when he said he needs everybody’s help, I thought he will call on the former president…but I don’t see anything wrong with what the former president is saying; he’s not confusing anybody. I won’t agree, ” she indicated.
Lawyer Edudzi Tamakloe, Special Aide to former President John Dramani Mahama
Lawyer Godwin Edudzi Tamakloe, Special Aide to former President John Dramani Mahama says the coronavirus pandemic has exposed the Akufo-Addo led government over their highly-touted robust economy since they took over from the Mahama administration after the 2016 general elections.
According to him, until the outbreak of the novel coronavirus in the country, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government propagandists made Ghanaians understood and believe that the country’s economy is robust and could withstand any shock.
Speaking on Okay FM’s ‘Ade Akye Abia’ Morning Show, lawyer Edudzi Tamakloe mockingly indicated that the highly-touted robust economy now is in the intensive care being supported with ventilators.
“A few months ago, the NPP government propagandists made us understand that the economy is robust and resilient. The economy that they have constantly touted that is robust should be able to withstand any shock, but today, due to the COVID-19 the economy is now in the intensive care with ventilators to revive it,” he mocked.
He reiterated that “the economy needs oxygen to the extent that in less than 2 months we have to go back to the IMF for USD$ 1billion in order to pay our debts and other things”.
He again indicated that the Akufo-Addo government is considering going for a moratorium from the World Bank and IMF in order to pay the country’s monthly loan interest for the next 5 months totalling USD$500 million.
“So quite clearly it means that all this while this government was making noise about the economic growth, it seems the fundamentals of the economy is as not strong as the government painted it to be. It also seems that the economy was built on straw,” he averred.
He, however, lamented that the COVID-19 has put everything done on the economy asunder, as President Akufo-Addo has confessed that it will take 3 to 4 years for the country to recover from the novel coronavirus and its associated effect on the economy.
Nkaros updates Ghana 