Speaker confirms some MPs have contracted COVID-19

Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin has threatened to name and shame Members of Parliament refusing to undergo Covid-19 testing.

This follows a number of positive cases recorded in the lawmaking chamber.

Speaking during the presentation of the business statement and also during statements from MP for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzato Ablakwa, MP for Pusiga, Ayamba Laadi, and Ayawaso west wuogon MP, Lydia Alhassan Seyram, the Speaker told members in the face their colleagues have tested positive and thus must take precautions.

He ordered other Parliamentary staff and the media to undergo testing too.

Samuel Okudzato’s statement touched on the high cost of the testing at our borders, airport, and also the various testing centres across the country as compared to many countries across world.

He went ahead to cite some countries across the world and their charges being less as compared to that of Ghana with respect to the cost of COVID-19 testing and asked government to do something by reducing the cost of testing of COVID-19 pandemic at the KIA.

But the immediate past Health Minister and current nominee for health ministerial position, Mr Kwaku Agyeman Manu explained government has agreed to the new decision by ECOWAS protocols to cap the cost of testing for COVID-19 at our various borders and Airport to fifty dollars ($50 dollars).

Mr Agyeman Manu further explained the $150 fee is as a result of infrastructure put up at the Airport to do this testing effectively.