Health experts have told the government that the next few weeks will determine whether or not the country adequately prepared for the coronavirus pandemic.

The experts believe such a critical moment will establish if the country should change the momentum or maintain current measures being implemented at controlling a possible escalation of the deadly virus.

“The health experts tell us that the next two weeks are going to be critical in determining whether or not we are going to get significant community spread,” Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, told journalists Wednesday, March 18, 2020.

He continued: “They tell us that the general theory pandemic management is that often it is likely the numbers go up a bit before it curves or the situation gets better. Therefore, they are bracing for the possibility of some limited recordings of more cases in the medium term but they continue to assure us that the systems they are putting together and continue to ramp-up are such that we will be able to contain it and hold this virus in check."

The Minister further stated that although the government hopes for the best, it is equally prepared for the worst.

Ghana's preparedness

The Health Ministry has designated a number of health facilities across the country as centres to manage cases of coronavirus in the country.

The Ministry in January also announced tightened emergency preparedness and response plan due to the rising number of infections.

Ghana has so far confirmed seven cases, all of which were imported according to government officials.

The country has not recorded any deaths so far as health officials say all cases are seeing some positive improvements.

Coronavirus cases

Available statistics posted by Worldometer, an international research team, indicates at least, 218,220 persons worldwide are currently living with the disease as of March 18.

Out of the number, some 8,919 have died while 84,383 have recovered from it.

The coronavirus COVID-19 is affecting 173 countries and territories around the world and 1 international conveyance (the Diamond Princess cruise ship harboured in Yokohama, Japan).