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Less than 24 hours after the launch of the ‘GH COVID-19 Tracker App’ by government, the initiative has been described as “useless” by the National Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
 
Bawumia Launches GH COVID-19 Tracker App
 
Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia on Monday launched the GH COVID-19 Tracker App to enable individuals to access and provide basic information to contact tracers to facilitate easy tracking, testing, and treatment of the respiratory disease.

The Tracker, developed by the Ministries of Communication and Health, would also aid health authorities to identify high-risk communities and prioritise contact tracing and testing to prevent further spread of the virus.

The Vice President, at the launch, urged Ghanaians to download the App from www.ghcovid19.com or use the shortcode *769#, especially those without smartphones.

The Tracker provides advanced information on persons infected by the virus through various telephone-related data to link them to health professionals.

It also provides detailed information about people who have been at the same event, location, country or other defined locations to help health authorities know where they might have exposed others to the virus over time. The App will be available on App stores later this week.
 
COVID-19 Testing: "Ghana Way Ahead Of US, UK"; Among World's "Top 20" In Per Capita Testing
 
Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia also indicated that the country’s aggressive contact-tracing and testing procedures have been a major tool in the fight against the spread of the deadly pandemic since the country confirmed its first official case on March 11, 2020.
 
According to him, the number of tests Ghana has conducted, 37,954 as of 11 April, ranks the country among the top 20 nations in the world, and amongst the top in Africa, of countries who are testing for COVID-19 per capita.
 
“Our focus has been on tracing, testing, treatment, as well as observing social distancing. Ghana has adopted an aggressive testing strategy. In terms of testing for coronavirus per capita, Ghana is, on the basis of available data, in the top 20 of Countries in the world.” He said
 
Unserious Gov't
 
But moments after the launch, Sammy Gyamfi is wondering if the Nana Addo-led government is really serious in the fight against the world’s most deadly virus, also known as COVID-19, after arguing that the vice president “lied” in his analysis.
 
“You [Government] don’t have test kits, you don’t have PPEs yet they don’t care. Is President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and his Vice Dr. Bawumia serious? They don’t have any plan and they are not thinking ahead,” he said in an interview with NEAT FM’s morning show "Ghana Montie".
 
Useless App
 
According to the outspoken NDC communicator, the tracker app which was widely publicized is not even ready for use.
 
“So, they’re happy to organize a concert to launch an app which isn’t working. The app is not on any platform so why are they wasting money on an app which is not ready? We need money for isolation centers...and they are talking about an app...How does this app help fight Coronavirus?” he quizzed.

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