Three US states have allowed some shops to reopen after measures imposed to curb the spread of the coronavirus, as the country’s death toll passed 51,000.

Salons and spas could reopen in Georgia and Oklahoma while Alaska lifted restrictions on restaurants.

On Friday, President Donald Trump walked out of a shorter than usual briefing, refusing to take questions.

He has faced criticism after suggesting that injecting household disinfectant into patients could be beneficial.

His remarks have been condemned as dangerous by doctors and manufacturers. Disinfectants are hazardous substances and can be poisonous if ingested, and even external exposure can be dangerous to the skin, eyes and respiratory system.

Mr Trump said on Friday that the comments – made at a news conference one day earlier – were sarcastic and taken out of context.

What is happening in the three states?

Customers visiting the newly reopened businesses in Georgia, Oklahoma and Alaska will be expected to continue adhering to social distancing measures. But some cities and areas have decided to keep their lockdowns in place.

In Georgia, which has one of the fastest reopening timetables in the country, bowling alleys, spas, hair and nail salons, tattoo parlours and other personal care businesses will be allowed to resume operations. On Monday, dine-in restaurants and theatres will be allowed to re-open.

With unemployment claims reaching 26 million people – or around 15% of the population – since mid-March, many US states are feeling the pressure to resume trading.

But health experts have warned that the steps might be happening too soon, amid fears they could spark another wave of infections. After being criticised by Mr Trump, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp tightened some of the sanitation and social distancing requirements for restaurants.

What else happened on Friday?

In the White House briefing that lasted just over 20 minutes, President Trump asked people to continue to follow rules around social distancing and the use of face masks.

Also on Friday, Mr Trump signed a $484bn (£391bn) economic stimulus bill into law, saying he wanted to “rush economic relief to our citizens”. It is the fourth Covid-19 relief package passed by Washington, and allocates funds towards greater testing, hospitals and a small business loan programme.

Source: bbcnews.com

Ghana’s Electoral Commission (EC) has temporarily been stopped from going ahead with a planned workshop on the controversial new voters’ register set to be compiled for the country’s polls in December this year.

Despite the outbreak of the deadly coronavirus in the country and the ban on public gatherings, the Commission last week announced it will hold a planning meeting with all its directors and deputy directors across the country from April 24 to 29 at Prampram. 

The planned meeting which has been criticized, the EC explained, seeks to afford its officials prepare and plan for the voters’ registration exercise which has already been suspended indefinitely due to the pandemic. 

But the MP for Ningo-Prampram, Sam Nartey George, who is against the move by the EC filed an ex-parte motion for an interim injunction at the Accra High Court on Friday, April 24 to prevent the EC from going ahead with the said workshop in his constituency. 

The court presided over by Justice John Eugene Nyante Nyadu upon hearing the application moved by lawyer Justice Srem-Sai ordered the EC and all its officials from going ahead with the meeting.

“It is hereby ordered that the respondent and all persons claiming through the respondent (EC) refrain from holding the workshop or conference scheduled to take place at the Escape Hotel Prampram from the 24th of April, 2020,” the court ruled. 

The order, according to the court, will expire on April 27.

Source: 3 News

There was pandemonium in Winneba in the Effutu Constituency of the Central Region when members of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) turned the town into a battlefield, attacking one another with offensive weapons.

Matters came to a head when some leading figures, believed to have been suspended by the party, went to the constituency office to hold a press conference to inform the national executives about the unfair treatment being meted out to them by the regional executives. 

According to them, they were suspended because they opposed the decision by the NDC to acclaim James Kofi Annan as the party’s parliamentary candidate for the 2020 general election. 

When the suspended officers got to the party’s office, a number of hoodlums who were allegedly brought in by the party executives lined up at the place with offensive weapons, such as knives, clubs, canes, sticks and stones, and started manhandling them, forcing people around to run for their lives. 

Victim’s Account

The Communications Officer of the NDC in the Effutu Constituency, Nenyi Akrama, aka Alexander King Dadzie, who is one of the suspended officers, claimed the attack was orchestrated by one Paa Nii Lamptey, aka Popo, who is a former NDC chairman in the constituency, with tacit support from the party’s acclaimed candidate, James Kofi Annan. 

“For quite some time now, there has been unrest in the party here. There are some people who have come to join the party and are fomenting the trouble. There is a key person called James Kofi Annan who is behind all these,” he said.

“Recently, we heard that he was acclaimed as our parliamentary candidate to lead the party, but he did not even pass through the right procedure when he was being acclaimed. Looking at what is happening now, if he had gone through vetting there was no way he would have been selected to lead the NDC in Effutu because he does not even qualify,” he added. 

“As we speak, he has corrupted some of the executives in the constituency, as well as those in the regional and national headquarters to get this illegal acclamation,” he claimed. 

Physical Attacks

Nenyi Akrama said, “I was whipped by the guys who were organized by the former chairman who supports James Kofi Annan. I have also seen a few guys being hit by the same people who were paid to come and beat us even though we have our constitutional rights to speak on the issues affecting the party.” 

He said some of the victims were rushed to the Winneba Trauma Hospital and said he was yet to pay them a visit to ascertain the extent of their injuries. 

Main Candidate

He said himself, an aspirant called Henry Kweku Bortey Ghartey aka Dependable, who placed second when the main primary was held, Joseph Wallace aka Big Joe, and one Moro, who is a deputy Treasurer, have been suspended under what he claimed to be ‘unfair circumstances’. 

“There are people who have suffered so much for the party, die-hard NDC members; I mean these four key people who have been suspended. They have sacrificed their all to get the party where it is today, and instead of them to be rewarded they rather sacked them by these same people who have been induced to do the bidding of James Kofi Annan,” he pointed out. 

“James Kofi Annan is trying to destroy our party and I am calling on the leaders to know the kind of person we are dealing with. He is not in good standing in the party. He has criminal cases against him, and we cannot take risks with the party at this time,” he claimed. 

He said “the party set a precedent in Afram Plains where the one who placed second was made as the automatic candidate after the main candidate had been withdrawn on the basis of a fraud case against him,” adding “the best person who should be acclaimed is Henry Kweku Bortey Ghartey or anybody in the party who is in good standing and not somebody like James Kofi Annan who is not in good standing in this constituency.” 

“I am calling on our national leadership including the founder, Ex-President Flt. Lt. J.J. Rawlings, and our flag bearer, John Mahama, to come down to Effutu and see what is happening here,” he stressed.

Source: Daily Guide Network

Prophet Seth Frimpong, popularly known for his hit song “This is just the beginning” has kicked the bucket smartandstuck.com can confirm.

The pastor who favored the microphone with a few live-changing vibes passed on early long hours of Friday, April 24, 2020. As indicated by individuals near the artist who affirmed his death made it clear that Prophet Seth Frimpong kicked the bucket after a short disease.

The one-time popular known gospel artist has been combating diabetes and thus been out of the open’s eye for quite a while. In spite of the fact that he added to the success of certain performers and ministers in the nation, he demonstrated that every such individual have wouldn’t add to when he required them most.

In his last meeting with Kumasi-based Abusua FM he said: “By the grace of God, I have been able to groom a lot of pastors and gospel musicians like Brother Sammy, Christiana Love and a host of others yet none of them has paid attention to me”.

“It is only Brother Sammy who has been able to pay me couple of visits…even yesterday Sunday, he was here and I am reliably informed some people had to speak to him before he thought of visiting me.”

He indicated that even his wife who agreed to the marriage vows which says “for better for worse” has left him to his fate because of his sickness.

Source: smartandstuck.com

It is the goal of every politician to get as many voters to vote in every election as possible.

But the sad reality is, in this part of the world, when electorates vote politicians into power, most of them tend to turn a blind eye to their plight and needs. 

Strangely, during election years, politicians who hardly visit their constituency, all of a sudden begin to connect with voters; faking smiles, eating with commoners, and being all nice. 

It is 8 months to Ghana’s general elections and politicians are expected to once again come knocking on doors with fake smiles and ‘Sugar Coated’ messages.

Well! Actress, Yvonne Nelson is pissed at such behaviours and think the voters deserve better than how they are treated by some politicians. 

In a post sighted by KonxeptWorae.com Yvonne Nelson expressed frustration at the trend, noting ‘power is all that’s politicians care about. 

“ Election year, that’s when politicians become ACTORS, we’ll see how humble they’ll get, we’ll see how getting into POWER is all they care about, they will do anything…come to your doorstep with oil & rice for your vote(with cameras) off course to win points “ Yvonne tweeted.

Source: konxeptworae.com

Thursday, 23 April 2020, will not easily be forgotten by Member of Parliament for Nalerigu/Gambaga, Hajia Alima Mahamain her political career.

Being in her first term as the representative of the area, Hajia Alima who doubles as the Minister for Local Government and Rural Development visited Dagbri-Boari in the East Mamprusi municipality of the North East region. 

Her mission, to campaign to be re-elected by delegates during the New Patriotic Party’s primaries which has been suspended due to the onset of the global pandemic, the coronavirus. 

Residents of the community who were not enthused about progress of development in the area welcomed the legislator with hoots and would not let her get out of her vehicle to interact with the delegates. 

According to JoyNews, the Local Government Minister and her high-profiled delegation, including the Municipal Chief Executive, Baba Danladi, the North East Regional Minister, and many regional executives of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), were given a hostile welcome party with some of them even rejecting Coronavirus relief items presented to them. 

They accused Hajia Alimah of failing to fulfil campaign promises she made earlier, stressing that their action was in fulfilment of their promise to boycott this year’s general elections and other national exercises unless authorities addressed their plights.

A Youth Leader who spoke to the Accra based media house outlined a number of promises Hajia Alima had turned a blind eye to including fixing their roads and providing potable drinking water to the community.

“Honestly, during the last elections when our MP came here, she made a lot of promises. So those promises, we were expecting that, at least if none at, at least, one or two would have been done.

“But up to date, she disappeared and we never heard anything from her again. So, when she disappeared after the elections, yesterday was the only day we set our eyes on her. We have realised that she is just there to fill her stomach not to do anything for the community.”

“So we are, therefore, of the view that, if nothing is done, we won’t cast our vote for her and we don’t even want her to come to the area,” Abubakari Washiu explained.

Source: http://www.ghanaweb.com

The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) has said the Ghana Government might struggle to handle the financial pressures caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The coronavirus fallout, according to the EIU will also affect Ghana in areas such as tourism, inflows of foreign direct investment, international trade in terms of both export receipts and imported goods and the availability of financing domestic and external debt.

In a report issued today, Thursday, April 23, 2020, the business intelligence unit indicated that per its findings: “The coronavirus has already infected over 50 African countries. Ghana has lagged behind most other areas of the world with the onset of the infection and is still at the early stages. Nonetheless, the comparatively weak state of its national healthcare system (compared with those in developed countries)—including a shortage of capacity for screening, testing and quarantining suspected cases—leaves it vulnerable to significant socioeconomic fallout.”

It continued to argue that the government’s original fiscal projections for 2020 have been thrown into disarray by the global pandemic.

“Meanwhile, the Ghanaian economy is already set to suffer a significant blow as a result of the depressive effect of the virus on global oil demand and prices. We expect global oil prices to slump to an average of US$32.1/barrel in 2020 and to remain low, at an average of US$36.3/b, in 2021. In addition, a UK­ based oil company, Tullow Oil the operator for both the Jubilee and the Tweneboa­Enyenra­Ntomme (TEN) fields in Ghana—is continuing to face operational and financial problems”, the EIU noted.

Impact of Coronavirus on Ghana’s economy 

The novel coronavirus pandemic is set to cost Ghana GHS9.505 billion, according to Ken Ofori-Atta, the Finance Minister.

This will be 2.5 percent of Ghana’s revised GDP.

Import duties, for example, will fall short of the target of GHS808 million for the 2020 fiscal year, the Minister indicated.

The pandemic will also take a toll on Ghana’s GDP growth.

Mr. Ofori-Atta said in a preliminary analysis of the impact of the virus “on the real sector shows that 2020 projected real GDP growth rate could decline from 8 percent to 2.6 percent with an outbreak, and 1.5 percent with a partial lock-down.”

The Minister also explained that “the overall fiscal deficit will increase from the programmed GHȼ18.9 billion to GHȼ30.2 billion, which will be 7.8 percent of revised GDP.”

Ghana has also gone in for a $1 billion interest free loan from the to cushion the economy.

Source:citinewsroom.com

Former President John Dramani Mahama has described as deeply irresponsible calls for the Electoral Commission (EC) to begin the voter registration exercise in the wake of COVID-19 outbreak.

The Electoral Commission suspended its planned voter registration exercise over the ban on public gatherings imposed on Ghanaians as part of efforts to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus disease that has bedevilled the country.

The exercise was initially scheduled for April 18, 2020, but no new date has been announced following the suspension.

A senior legal practitioner and former President of the Ghana Bar Association, Sam Okudzeto had earlier urged the Electoral Commission (EC) to start the registration exercise in places outside the now lifted partial lockdown.

This the former president in a Facebook session on Thursday, April 23, 2020, says was regrettable.

“While it is the prerogative of the president to make decisions that ensureregrettabley and protection of Ghanaians, it is my hope that his decisions are guided by genuine concerns for the health and safety of the people of Ghana and are also guided by science and not any political or parochial considerations.”

“It is unfortunate that a high ranking member of the president’s party has suggested in recent days that the Electoral Commission should and will go ahead with the compilation of the new voters’ register as soon as next month, no matter how many Ghanaians dying, at times when doubts remain about the scale of COVID-19 threats and when social distancing has become our main dedefencethis suggestion is deeply irresponsible. An outburst like this creates doubts in the minds of the people,” the former president said.

EC and the new voters’ registration

The Electoral Commission is supposed to organize the 2020 presidential and parliamentary elections on December 7.

The Commission is seeking to replace its biometric machines to better address verification challenges that could occur during the elections.

A key new feature the EC cited is the introduction of a facial recognition option in addition to fingerprint verification.

It also plans to make the Ghana Card and passport the only acceptable identification for the upcoming voter registration, but the announcement was received with mixed reactions from Ghanaians.

Opposition to new register

The move for the new register has been met with opposition from key political stakeholders, including the main opposition party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

The opposition party called on Ghanaians to reject the EC’s plans because it felt the commission was yet to present a compelling argument for the compilation of a new register.

Over the course of deliberations, its officials even walked out of a meeting with the EC.

Source:citinewsroom.com

Residents in the Western Region have expressed fear over the recent announcement made by President Nana Akufo-Addo lifting the partial lockdown that was imposed on Accra, Tema, Kasoa and Kumasi due to the number of COVID-19 cases recorded there.

The residents, especially those in the three entry districts of Shama, Sekondi-Takoradi Metro and the Effia-Kwesimintim Municipality stressed the need to ensure that no one ‘smuggles’ COVID-19 into the region to add to the already one recorded case.

They noted that during the partial lockdown of some areas in the country, many people were not able to travel from the affected areas to their villages and now that it has been lifted, people with the disease might travel to the region with it.

The residents gave their grievances in an interview with the Ghana News Agency when it took to town to ascertain whether people were observing the preventive protocols and what they could do to prevent infection should there be a case in the Metropolis.

According to them, the region has recorded its first case and was making contact tracing and coupled with the highly populated nature of the region, there was the need for swift and intensive action in its preparedness to tackle the movement or influx of people in the region.

They lamented that should there be more importation of the disease in the region the implications for its health system, economy and issues of women and children would be dire and urged the authorities to intensify monitoring in the districts and implement stringent measures to mitigate the threat in the region.

Mr. Kwaw Someakwah, a trader at the Takoradi Market Circle argued that contrary to a directive by the city authority directing all traders to maintain social distancing to avoid a possible spread, they have utterly “thrown it to the dogs”.

Mr Someakwah called on the Regional Health Directorate to be apt in its preparedness to manage the situation and make room for adequate surveillance, logistics and resources to prevent the spread of the disease in the region.

He challenged the COVID-19 Team in the region to explore and operationalize all strategies to curtail further spread of the virus into the Metropolis from the infected cities following the announcement by the President.

He urged the COVID-19 Task Force and other agencies intensify their patrols and monitoring in the communities, especially markets places and implored parents and guardians to get their children off the streets, markets as well as other public places.

Source:bestnewsghana.com

Flagbearer of the opposition National Democratic Congress(NDC) has re-echoed what he says is the grim economic realities of the country, as he took a swipe at government for falsegrowth forecasts.

He said just a month experience of the global pandemic(coronavirus) has sent the much touted robust economy reeling from the crisis.

Mr. Mahama made the comment while responding to a question about the imminent recession of the Ghanaian economy, predicted by some economistsin his maiden digital conversation Thursday night.

The coronavirus pandemic is driving upheavals in the economies on the globe as countries are getting hit harder by the pandemic.

The Akufo-Addo administration has made audacious statement about reviving the Ghanaian economy despite the extent of the crisis.

“We know what to do to bring back our economy back to life. What we do not know how to do is to bring people back to life” President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo told Ghanaians in an address to the nation on measures taken against the spread of the coronavirus.

But his arch-rival, Mr. Mahama, says the risk of the dramatic fall of the economy has become visible as government nearly starved public sector workers had it not been rescued by the International monetary Fund(IMF).

“Its always necessary when you’re building an economy to have enough buffers and create fiscal space so that when you’re faced with a shock or adversity, you’re easily able to overcome it. unfortunately this government has used a lot of propaganda. They said the economy has been the best we ever had since independence.

“Unfortunately just one month of coronavirus and the economy is in ICU. If we didn’t run to the IMF, for the 1 billion rapid Credit facility, it’s possible that in the next two months probably salaries would not have been paid. And so our economy is on ventilators and it needs thinking to rescue it from the ICU.”

Source:bestnewsghana.com