Ghana’s parliament shuts down after virus outbreak

Ghana’s parliament will suspend sittings for three weeks because of increasing coronavirus cases among lawmakers and staff, Speaker Alban Bagbin announced on Tuesday.

The number of MPs who have contracted the virus has risen to 17 while that of staff has gone up to 151.

Mr Bagbin said sittings would resume on 2 March.

But he said parliament’s appointments committee would from 10 February continue with the scheduled vetting of cabinet nominees of President Nana Akufo-Addo, who won re-election in December.

Lawmakers and staff will be tested in two weeks, public broadcaster Ghana Broadcasting Corporation reports.

A surge in coronavirus cases had forced parliament last week to limit its sittings to Tuesdays and Thursdays, with entry only permitted to MPs and staff needed for the business on those days.

Ghana has so far confirmed over 73,000 cases and 482 deaths since it reported its first case in March last year.