The Ministry of Health has announced that two cases of coronavirus infection (COVID-19) have been confirmed in Ghana.

The cases, according to the Health Minister, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, were confirmed on Thursday, March 12, 2020.

At an impromptu press briefing, streamed live on Facebook on Thursday evening, the Health Minister announced that these were the first two cases confirmed in Ghana.

"Laboratory results of the two confirmed cases were received at the same time from the Noguchi Memorial Institute of Medical Research. Both individuals returned to Ghana - one from Norway and the other from Turkey - so these are imported cases of COVID-19.

"Both patients are currently being kept in isolation and are stable. We have initiated processes for contact tracing," the Minister said.

He gave the assurance that the government of Ghana together with all health partners will continue to work assiduously to ensure the situation is contained.

The confirmation makes Ghana the latest African country to record the disease that has hit at least nine sub-Saharan African countries.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared COVID-19 a global pandemic.

Globally, there have been 134,511 cases recorded and at least 4,970 deaths.