Coronavirus: Government’s figures don’t add up; Noguchi, KCCR lack capacity to do 68,000 tests – Omane Boamah

Former Communications Minister, Edward Omane Boamah has cast doubts on the accuracy of the government’s claim of 68,000 people undergoing the coronavirus test.

Official government figures as of Sunday, April 21 indicate that of 68, 591 test conducted, 1042 came out positive with the rest being negative.

But Omane Boamah has questioned the figures, insisting that

Read full articlethe country’s testing centres lack the capacity to carry out that number of tests within the said period.

According to him, the maximum number of tests the Noguchi Memorial Institute and the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research (KCCR) can undertake is 46,800.

“Noguchi and KCCR should help us have confidence in the case count or figures being released. Looking at the capacity of Noguchi & KCCR, it is strange to hear we have tested 68,000 so far. It doesn't add up”.

“I don't believe Ghana has tested 68,000 persons so far for COVID-19. If you look at the capacity of Noguchi & KCCR, we should be testing around 46,800. I doubt the 68,000 figures Gov't is giving us", he said on Asempa FM.

He also rejected the government’s justification for its decision to end the three-week lockdown.

Omane Boamah opined that the data available does not support the government’s action.

“In taking decisions like that you need to consider a lot of things. You have to consider the nation’s capacity to contain the virus should it reach certain level. The data available does not support lifting the lockdown. I’m yet to come across colleagues in the medical fraternity who think the government acted rightly”, he said.