All international conferences to be hosted by the University of Cape Coast has been suspended until further notice, school authorities have announced.
The action is among several others taken by the University to prevent members of its community from contracting the deadly novel coronavirus.
The University has also suspended all international travels of staff.
All incoming and outgoing exchange programmes as well as international visits of professors, foeign partners and collaborators have also been suspended until further notice.
University of Cape Coast says that the precautionary measures were taken in collaboration with the Central Regional Health Directorate.
Since the outbreak of the virus, which has since been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization, there have nearly 60 suspected cases in the country, with all testing negative of the virus.
However, the number of reported cases of the virus is rising steadily in Africa as 11 countries, including Ghana’s immediate neighbours, Burkina Faso, Togo, and Ivory Coast, have all recorded cases.
Over 100 cases have thus far been recorded in Africa, with one death in Egypt.
The World Health Organization has identified Ghana and 12 other African countries as high-risk countries for the novel coronavirus.
The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, says that he has directed the Minister for Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, to make available the cedi equivalent of $100 million to enhance Ghana’s Coronavirus preparedness and response plan.
This amount, according to President Akufo-Addo, “is to fund expansion of infrastructure, purchase of materials and equipment, and public education.”
Earlier, the University of Ghana also announced that it had allocated three of its bungalows to isolate persons in its community suspected to have contracted the virus.
They have also formed an Emergency Response Team, comprising of the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research and the University Hospital, to help prevent the contracting and spread of the virus in its community.
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Story by: Jeffrey Nyabor | www.universnewsroom.com