The Ghana Health Service has written to Tema West MP Mr Carlos Ahenkorah to inform of his recovery from COVID-19 after testing negative twice.
“The Ghana Health Service wishes to inform you that you have obtained two consecutive negative laboratory test result for COVID-19. For this reason, you are deemed to have recovered from COVID-19) infection, and so can return to work”, the letter, signed by Director-General Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye said.
It added: “This, however, does not mean you are immune from contracting the virus henceforth”.
It said: “As a result, you are advised to continue to observe the under-listed precautionary measures: use of a face mask at all times, especially in public places; frequent washing of hands with soap under running water; covering your mouth and nose with tissue paper when coughing or sneezing and disposing of the used tissue properly; maintaining social and physical distancing with other people (minimum of 2 meters) and drinking enough water”.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on Friday, 3 July 2020, accepted the resignation of Mr Ahenkorah from office as the Deputy Minister of Trade and Industries following the MP’s admission that he breached some COVID-19 protocols, when, as a person certified to be positive for the virus, he visited a registration centre in his constituency before the period of self-isolation was complete.
A letter from the Presidency signed by Mr Eugene Arhin, Director of Communication, said President Akufo-Addo is admonishing all of his appointees to bear in mind that they are to provide leadership, at all times, for adherence to the protocols that have been established to help the nation defeat COVID-19.
In accepting the resignation, Nana Akufo-Addo recognised that Mr Ahenkorah had acted honourably in the circumstances by resigning from his office and wished him well.
“I took my COVID-19 to some registration centres” – Carlos Ahenkorah, but says “I was very careful”
On Thursday, 2 July 2020, Mr Carlos Ahenkorah said despite being COIVD-19 positive, he toured some registration centres to see how the process was going when the Electoral Commission began registering Ghanaians for a new voter ID card ahead of the 7 December 2020 polls.
The lawmaker admitted to Asempa FM’s Ekosiisen political talk show host Osei Bonsu in an interview that he toured the centres on the first day of the exercise – Tuesday, 30 June 2020.
“I decided to see how some of the centres were just operating. So, I stepped out into town a bit. It didn’t mean I couldn’t go out. My test results had shown I was positive a week ago and after one week, my doctors said I could step out,” he told Asempa FM
“They [doctors] said I could go out, except that I needed to wear my mask and observe social distancing,” the lawmaker added.
He said he was “very careful” and “very mature about it”.