Ghana COVID deaths cross 1,000 amid third wave

Ghana’s coronavirus-related deaths have crossed the 1000 mark as the nation struggles to contain a third wave driven by the highly contagious Delta variant.

In its latest update on Saturday, the Ghana Health Service said the death toll has now climbed to 1,001. At least 596 new cases have been recorded pushing the country’s active caseload to 7,016.

Out of this, 148 and 61 are in severe and critical conditions respectively.

A total of 117,636 cases have so far been recorded since the outbreak in March 12, 2020. Some 109,612 patients have recovered over the period.

The surge in virus cases in Ghana has been attributed to slow vaccination drive and blatant disregard for COVID protocols. The country’s administrative capital Accra and the commercial capital of Kumasi are said to be the nation’s hotspots.