Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council has announced the suspension of what it calls “mass movement of foreigners” into the region to prevent an escalation of the coronavirus spread.

The region currently has the second-highest case of Covid-19 infections with 25 cases, after the Greater Accra Region which has recorded 274 cases.

In a press release, the regional coordinating council said “the incidence of transporting foreigners into the region in their numbers is a matter of great concern and must cease immediately.”

The council manages the activities of the District Assemblies, government departments and agencies and non-governmental organisations in the Ashanti Region.

The release, dated April 8, 2020, and signed by the regional minister, Simon Osei-Mensah, said the ban is in line with the lockdown directives announced by the President two weeks ago.

“…anybody who is caught transporting foreigners into the region in such large groups, as well as any landlord who harbours such people, shall be dealt with in accordance with the Laws of the Country,” the Minister warned in the release.

The regional coordinating council has also suspended special market days and mass gatherings for games and keep fit indefinitely.

The Ashanti Region, the third largest of Ghana's 16 administrative regions, is home to many tourist attractions of interest to foreigners.

Ghana’s Covid-19 case count hit 313 with six deaths on Wednesday April 8, 2020, according to figures by the Ghana Health Service.