GHANAIAN NEWS APRIL 2020

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The KEEPING YOU IN TOUCH WITH NEWS FROM HOME AND LOCAL COMMUNITY ISSUES

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The Corona Virus Pandemic Ghanaian Community Views and measures taken by Community Members around the World

Compiled by Jonathan Baah Annobil, Toronto

Joycelyn Natalie Cudjoe-Journalist, Accra Ghana:

Russel Quarcoo, Media Consultant, Accra, Ghana:

COVID-19 has been a heavy blow and made it difficult for me to even take coverage of some events. It has also had a psychologicalimpact on me as I always try to be far from speakers even during interviews.

I have been trying to observe social distancing.

I don’t get close to my fellow journalists with the fear that any of them could be carrying the virus.

I am even more scared in taxis and public transit because the drivers were earlier taking the number of passengers that their vehicles had to contain till directives came that they should reduce the number of passengers. There were no events to even cover as event organizers cancelled all their events to adhere to “social distancing” directives. Due to slow movement of events, most of us were allowed to stay home during the lockdown; as such we did more of the work on virtual means (online) to update the indigenes and the world about the happenings in the country.My message is all Ghanaians should continue to pray, those who are in lockdown countries should stay home, and those whose bans are lifted should observe the social distancing protocols and hygiene

The COVID-19 outbreak has really impacted the flow and daily routine of my life.

Currently I work from home. I am quarantined with my 3-year old daughter and this pandemic is really unnerving. In Ghana here, with the imposition of restrictions on movement, everything came to a standstill (till the government lifted the ban).

Surviving each day has been a grace. Food prices due to market forces i.e. demand and supply have skyrocketed, making it difficult for households to survive. Albeit the government’s intervention, e.t.c folks are still complaining especially about the sharing of the cooked food. By and largeCOVID-19 has completely changed in Ghana.What I am currently doing in this pandemic is finalizing artworks for fertilizer sacs for our clients. I will say in conclusion that no matter what we hear around from the grapevine about conspiracy theories and all, we should all stay safe, observe all the safety protocols, inculcate them religiously into our children and loved ones. Education is the key.

James Ampah, Journeyman Como, Italy: We have been in total lockdown over here in Italy over 2 months. It has really impacted me as I have not been able to go to work for over 2 months, so I am now in financial difficulty. Currently I am protecting myself by staying home venturing out when really it is necessary, as many lives have been lost due to this pandemic. It is so depressing as you turn on the TV, it is nothing but death here and all over the world. My message is that even though the virus is real, we should not panic or fear. Stay home but put on mask and wear gloves whenever you go out. Observe the social distancing, wash your hands with soap and water and in absence of that use sanitizers. May God protect all of us.

John Ekow Ampah, Community member Algeciras, Spain:

in Edmonton Donates $20,000 to Ghana to fight COVID-19

By Emmanuel Ayiku, Toronto On March 29, 2020 the Board of Trustees of the Covid-19 National Trust Fund chaired by former Chief Justice, Sophia Akuffo was inaugurated by the Government of Ghana to receive contributions and donations from the public to assist in the welfare of the needy and vulnerable in Ghana during this plague.

The Covid-19 National Trust Fund was set up by the President of the Republic, nana AkufoAddo, into which he donated his three-month salary as the seed money for the Fund. Since then, a number of well-meaning Ghanaians at home and abroad, have made significant contributions into the Fund.

In response to this call for nationalism and national duty, The Ghana Friendship Association of Edmonton (GFAE) on behalf of each and every Ghanaian resident in Edmonton (Canada) is donating $20,000 to the Ghana Novel Coronavirus National (Covid-19)Trust Fund to assist the people of Ghana in combating this terrible global pandemic. This donation will be channeled through the Ghana High Commission in Ottawa. The President of the Ghana Friendship Association of Edmonton ( GFAE} Mr KeliTamaklo said “ COVID-19 is real and the fight for struggling vulnerable people should involve all of us” He expressed his gratitude to the membership of the Association for their continuous support of the GFAE in doing great things for humanity. Quoting Mother Teresa, h said, “Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.”

Ghanaian Community in Toronto launches Fund-Raising Drive to National COVID-19 Drive in Ghana

It has greatly impacted me as I have some preexisting health issues. Because of this, I have been indoors as

By Emmanuel Ayiku, Toronto per advice from my doctors since March 16,2020. The province where I live in In Toronto, Mr.Emmanuel Duodu, President of Ghanaian Spain has had the lowest cases because the citizens Canadian Association of Ontario (GCAO) said the Youth Wing obeyed the protocols to the letter. The pandemic of GCAO has an ongoing fund-raising effortstowards the Covid-19 National Trust Fund.He is encouraging the leadership really hit Spain very hard, as it is 3rd in causalities in of the various organizations to donate to the Fund. Donations and the world, after US and Italy. We are suffering here, contributions, big and small, are on-going at this crucial moment, for there is no social support from the government and he is encouraging all community members to contribute to now and we need to pay all our pending bills as the and their contributions can make a difference now than ever. All country has been in lockdown. I am praying that the proceeds will be paid into the Ghana COVID-19 National Trust curve is flattened sooner than later. My advice to Fund for the welfare of the needy and the vulnerable in Ghana as the nation grapples with this pandemic. Some of these funds will everyone is that the pandemic is real so observe all be used to support front line staff and local organizations that are protocols issued by the government in your area of on the grounds supporting and educating communities about the residence. Stay safe. pandemic crisis.

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The Ghanaian News April 2020

EDITORIAL KEEPING YOU IN TOUCH WITH NEWS FROM HOME AND LOCAL COMMUNITY ISSUES

EDITORIAL Publisher / Editor Emmanuel Ayiku Contributing Editors Prof. Michael Baffoe Joe Kingsley Eyiah Director of Operations Comfort Ayiku

Coping with the Corona Virus pandemic Over the past six weeks, most of the world have been subjected to authorities-directed and enforced lockdowns of communities and people, measures aimed at preventing people from spreading or contracting the globally-raging, dreaded and invisible corona virus known by its official name of COVID-19. For many countries around the world, the lockdown was total and brutal. Others were subjected to only partial lockdowns of parts of their societies. Yet, others have since relaxed these lockdown measures and people have started going about their normal businesses, although their safety is not assured, or cannot be guaranteed by the authorities.

COVID-19 requires behaviour change A number of very important guidelines have been issued worldwide to address the COVID-19 pandemic, namely: • frequently wash hands under running water with soap for at least twenty seconds • sanitize hands periodically • limit the number of face-to-face interactions • observe basic social distancing protocols, etc.

These guidelines are being widely repeated here in Ghana and in various social media by political leaders, religious and community leaders, captains of industry, celebrities etc We should, however, not be lulled into a false sense of security by the mere repetition of, and seeming familiarity, with the guidelines. Much more is needed for their intended impact Winnipeg Bureau to be achieved. After all, we are aware of people practicing behaviours that are contrary Prof. Michael Baffoe to information they are aware of, either because of traditional beliefs, sheer habit or just a In the land of Our Birth, Ghana, the Government penchant for practicing risky behaviours.

The Ghanaian News instituted a partial lockdown of the Metropolis of the Publishes news and comments two major Cities and their outlying suburb. These were The ability to apply the guidelines requires knowledge and effective engagement with, from the Community, serves and application of, the knowledge. It is important that critical information is effectively Ghanaians across Canada with the Capital City of Accra and its environments of the disseminated through channels that reach the whole population. The circumstances also Harbour City of Tema, to the east and the sprawling demand that people look out for, and access, and own the information that is coming from good source of information is committed to give good township of Kasoato the West, and the “Garden City’ the authorities. community Journalism of Kumasi and its suburbs. The outcry and complaints from residents of these locked-down areas in Ghana The language of communication of the guidelines is very important. It is obvious that The Ghanaian News many Ghanaians are more comfortable in their own local language and must be reached is published in Canada by for three weeks were loud and vociferous. People of through our various local languages. In that regard, accuracy in translation is critical to all shades and walks of life joined the cacophony of ensuring the right behaviours being adopted.

The Ghanaian News Corporation complaint choruses. They ranged from those who were expressing genuine concerns of difficulty in accessing or Translating alcohol-based sanitizers as “Akpeteshi” (local hard liquor), obviously distorts Editorial Office engaging in activities of daily living, to recalcitrant ones the message and rather projects wrong behaviors simply because of poor translation!

1111 Albion Road, Suite 103 who were out just to taunt the law-enforcement officers Washing hands with liquor is obviously not the message, nor is drinking alcohol of any Etobicoke, Ont. M9V 1A9 value in respect of COVID-19!! This is why some distillers in the UK, as they change who were out to ensure compliance with the lockdown production lines to produce sanitizers, have also made it clear that their normal alcoholic Tel:(416) 916-3700 Advertising directives. The boldest of the recalcitrants, publicly products are not to be used as sanitizers.

Fax (416) 916-6701 declared that they were going to test the resolve of the law-enforcement officers, a very strange and risky The struggle to express the use of sanitizers in local Ghanaian languages depicts the Website: behavior. These were people, mostly young men who reality of introducing a behaviour that was not generally practiced previously and which www.ghanaiannews.ca E-mail: never tasted the brutalities of the military and other requires more care in communication. cayiku@gmail.com law-enforcement personnel who roamed Ghana in the Using modern hand washing basins with soap from a modern dispenser to demonstrate info@ghanaiannews.ca “revolutionary” years of the mid-1979 and 1980s. hand washing may seem distant to some people and will need to be adapted to the circumstances of different sections of the society. As people understand the rationale $1:00 per copy As if bowing to these cacophony of complaints, the for the practice, appreciate the benefits, have access to the required logistics and social Subscription costs $66.00 for one year.

Ghana government gave in, and lifted the lockdowns support, they are more likely to accept and also adopt and practice the new behaviours including postage of the two Metropolises in the country. This, we and even integrate them into their way of life.

U.S. and foreign believe, was not a very prudent move on the part of subscriptions costs Considerable attention needs to be paid to how the circumstances in which people live US$120 per year. the government since there were no tested or scientific affect their ability or disposition to practice these guidelines. The general guidelines, reasons for doing so. The confirmed cases of the corona therefore, need to be translated into the ways of life of different sections of the population.

Letters to the Editor virus in the country has, since the lifting of the lockWe encourage your feedback and value downs, been increasing. Interestingly, some so-called The whole society needs to be mobilised to ensure the practice of the required behaviours. your comments. Please opinion leaders of the country who were very loud in At every level of society, we need ownership for change; it is not because “they say feel free to write to us. it’s good for me” or “the authorities demand that we practice the new behaviours”, but criticizing the government for imposing “hardships” on because, the new behaviours are “good for me”. keep letters to a maximum of 200 words, the people with the lockdown measures, were the same include your full ones who turned round to condemn the government for Different players each need to play their respective roles. For instance, after the message name, Telephone # and about hand washing has been put out nationally, it needs to be drilled down to regional, its “hasty” decision to lift the lockdowns. mailing address district, right down to community and family levels. with all correspondence.

Address your letters to The government-ordered lockdowns in Ghana brought the Editor into sharp focus and laid bare the lawless nature of Putting out the guidelines without an explanation of the relationship between the behaviours set out and the intended outcomes will not likely lead to their observance. the country’s citizens. People were openly displaying There may, indeed, be some who just go through the motions of the behaviours without The Ghanaian News their wanton disregard for law and order even when really appreciating their import and, thereby, ensuring that the intended outcomes are 1111Albion Rd., Suite 103 Etobicoke, Ont., M9V 1A9 they were in the health and security interests of the realised.

Tel: 416-916-3700 or citizens themselves and the country. The government Fax: 416-916-6701 was pushed into a corner of a rock and hard surface. The general information repeated through the guidelines is, undoubtedly, good but this or e-mail us at info@ghanaiannews.ca Its pleas to the Ghanaian citizens to voluntarily observe situation calls for more than information dissemination. It requires a deliberate behaviour change messaging approach that includes advocacy with leadership at all levels and in all and practice “social distancing” for their own safety contexts of the society to be custodians of the behaviours and associated practices set out Articles appearing in various and that of others have been widely ignored. The in the guidelines. The leaders will be expected to mobilise their respective communities columns of the Ghanaian News country is now enveloped in a very dangerous and and groups to institutionalise the behaviours as a community culture. Sub groups within are intended to generate civil and informed public discussions. uncertain situation where government and its health the whole society must influence and encourage each other to practice the behaviours You do not have to agree with that are required to combat COVID-19. This way the whole society is mobilised in a opinions expressed by the writers. experts cannot predict how things are going to turn out sustainable manner - even beyond the crisis -to practice these behaviours. The individual That should encourage you to or develop. should see benefit in the new behaviours for their own survival and well- being so as to write to express your own views. embrace and practice them.

This is the way we generate Over here in Canada, we wish to commend the lively and civil discussions in the community. Rejoinders are various governmental authorities at the Provincial, What COVID-19 calls for is communication that makes the nation, and the world at large, not forums for personal insults and we want readers to adhere to Municipal and Federal levels for the controlling and adopt behaviours that protect us and give us a chance to overcome the grave danger posed these principles. bold measures they have taken so far in combatting the to us all by the pandemic. We must not only be “hearers” but, more importantly, “doers” spread of the virus in Canada. We also wish to commend of the guidelines if we are to avert the dangers that stare us in the face. That is why I We acknowledge the would like to add the following to the important messages being put out: members of our Ghanaian-Canadian communities financial support of the across the country for complying with the directives What COVID-19 calls for is communication that makes the nation, and the world at large, Government of Canada of the authorities in these trying times. These are the adopt behaviours that protect us and give us a chance to overcome the grave danger posed through the Canada Periodical Fund of the to us all by the pandemic. We must not only be “hearers” but, more importantly, “doers” hallmarks of good citizenship.

Department of of the guidelines if we are to avert the dangers that stare us in the face. That is why I Canadian Heritage We will continue to entreat all our compatriots, would like to add the following to the important messages being put out: both here in Canada and in the Land of Our Birth Stay Informed, understand the information, act on the information and Stay Safe. to understand the simple fact that this pandemic is real. No-one should be complacent, careless or show Esther A.N. Cobbah is the Chief Executive Officer of Strategic Communications Africa wanton disregard for safety measures directed by the (Stratcomm Africa) Ltd. authorities. Our collective safety and well-being are critically at stake. Please stay well and stay safe.

Community Reporter Jonathan Annobil

The Ghanaian News April 2020 7

We’re not out of the woods yet: Toronto’s top doctor answers your COVID-19 questions Toronto’s top doctor answers COVID-19 questions Dr. Eileen de Villa, Toronto’s medical officer of health, stops by CP24 to answer your questions and concerns about COVID-19.

Toronto’s top doctor, Dr. Eileen de Villa joined CP24 Live at 5:30 on Thursday to answer COVID-19 questions from viewers and to discuss the current status of the city during the pandemic.

The city has a total of nearly 7,000 COVID-19 cases with more than 500 deaths.

CP24: The messaging from Toronto Public Health has shifted from staying at home to encouraging residents to go outside and keep physical distancing. Why the change in tone?

De Villa: We’ve been talking over the last several days now about moving from exclusively a COVID response focus to one that balances that response with recovery.

We have been seeing some promising signs, and we’re still in the early days. We’re not out of the woods yet, but we are starting to see some signs that tell us that we are at their peak period, and we’re hoping to see the peak behind us in the not too distant future.

How do we start to learn to live with the virus in our community without always staying at home? Maintaining physical distancing, staying safe, but allowing people the opportunity to try and resume certain aspects of life in our city.

CP24: From a viewer – I wanted to know what percentage of the cases in Toronto is as a result of community spread, and based on the data that you have available, is there any chance that we can maybe see our families anytime soon?

De Villa: We know that at the beginning of the outbreak, most of the cases had to do with travel to other places outside of our city. And over time, that started to change. But I can tell you this, the biggest risk factor for getting a COVID-19 infection is having close contact, especially household contact with somebody who has COVID-19 infection.

If you have somebody in your household who has an infection, and you live with them, you’re at really high risk for that. And that’s about 35 per cent of our cases. When I last looked at our data, about 30 per cent of our cases are due to community spread at this point in time. That’s the basic breakdown of cases.

The question now, what about getting together with family at this stage of the game? We’re

Dr. Eileen de Villa, Toronto’s medical officer of health still pretty cautious about that, particularly for those who are in the older end of the age spectrum. As much as we want to see some of our older family members, our grandparents and the like, they are very, very susceptible to severe impacts and in severe outcomes associated with COVID 19. I’m encouraging people to get outside a little bit to enjoy a little bit of the sunshine, get some fresh air, get physical activity. Good for your body, good for your mind as well. But still to be cautious. We’re not quite out of the woods yet.

CP24: If children are found to be low risk and not getting as ill as other vulnerable groups, can you please explain why they cannot go back to school or attend camps in the summer?

I think there are lots of questions still around what the impact is, what does illness look like in children and young people. In general, we’re seeing that COVID-19 illness isn’t as severe. The most severe outcomes seem to be with those over the age of 70 and certainly those over the age of 80. However, in recent days we’ve been hearing more and more cases of more significant inflammatory conditions. You’ve probably heard some news reports around Kawasaki disease that seems to be associated with COVID-19 infection, so new virus still learning quite a bit about this virus.

So far, it looks like children don’t have severe outcomes or severe illness, but we are starting to learn more and more as we’re seeing more and more cases. We’re going to try to balance things out, trying to balance COVID-19 protections along with making sure that we’re meeting all the other health needs, which include going to school and going to camp.

CP24: My boyfriend and I currently live in separate households, each with other people. Do you see the potential of the concept of a two-house bubble being an option for Toronto residents?

I understand that both households would need to agree to this arrangement and

would need to be exclusive to each other.

De Villa: I’ve heard this before. Other jurisdictions are doing that. I’m going to guess that the viewer probably has heard of this concept from other places that are already practicing that. I’m hopeful that as we move along in our outbreak and as we start to see signs of improvement, that we will be promoting this kind of activity shortly. For now, we’re still suggesting physical distancing where we’re saying that it’s okay to get outside and enjoy a little sunshine, a little fresh air, maintain the physical distancing. For now, we are slowly getting there, but remember, we’re not out of the woods yet.

CP24: Are we allowed to see our friends as long as we keep physical distancing measures intact?

De Villa: It’s not all that straightforward. And I can completely appreciate why people want to actually connect with their friends. And as great as the technology is, there’s nothing quite like connecting with people in person. I think that maintaining that physical distancing is important.

People should wash their hands if they’re enjoying a snack or some food at wherever they’re out at. But I think you have to keep in mind that there are still provincial orders in place around gatherings of people.

And in particular, there are restrictions around having gatherings of more than five people. So that’s just one thing to keep in mind from the provincial perspective.

But please, above all, physical distancing and wash your hands and maintain good respiratory hygiene, cover your cough and sneeze and all the good stuff we tell you to do every year.

CP24: Why have we not mandated facial coverings in public, especially in a densely populated city?

Many of the countries that have had mandate had this mandate have been able to reduce transmission.

De Villa: Well, we’re certainly not stopping people from wearing masks if they feel that that’s an important thing to

do. And we’ve heard already from our partners at the Public Health Agency of Canada that in those circumstances outside where it’s difficult or impossible to maintain physical distancing, that wearing a mask is a reasonable thing to do. But remember that when we’re talking about wearing a nonmedical mask, we’re talking about you preventing your germs from going to other people rather than protecting yourselves from others. So, it’s about preventing your transmission of disease to other people.

I think the one thing that we have to remember though, is that it’s not always possible for everybody to wear a mask. There are some people in our community that have significant respiratory issues already to begin with or have particular health conditions that make wearing a mask difficult. So, it may not be for everybody, but for those who can, if you’re not able to maintain physical distancing, which is still the first and best approach, then wearing a mask is quite reasonable to prevent the spread of disease from you to others.

CP24: A viewer says she has great concerns regarding shops opening with the street front entrance. Will people not want to shop with friends? And once in stores like bookstores, touching books or other items by many hands, is that not dangerous? Shouldn’t everyone wear masks and gloves?

De Villa: Opening of retail stores that will be happening on Monday as per the provincial new directive is only for curbside pickup. So, there’s no actually people quite yet in the stores. So for now, we think that this can be managed.

While there are certainly lots of people here at the city that are actively working on this to make sure that we’re prepared and that businesses are ready and that the public knows what’s expected in order to protect themselves and those around them from COVID-19 so that we can do this safely.

I think we’re going to see how that goes. It’ll be a good demonstration to see what the challenges might be so that we can continue to learn and improve constantly. But above all, health and safety are going to be the top priority while we seek to try and bring business back and restart all the activities that we’re used to doing and what we’re used to being able to have in our daily lives.

CP24: Why are they allowing hardware stores to open as long as they follow guidelines? People will walk beside other people, but they

won’t open up golf courses.

There is no contact with this sport, you can pay online, and other golf courses in other provinces are open.

De Villa: I think there’s good rationale there. You’re quite right. A sport like golf can be played without a lot of contact.

I’m going to remind folks that there are a number of the restrictions that are currently under provincial order. The province did allow for golf courses to start to prepare themselves to get ready for an opportunity to open. And the province did release a framework. I hate to speak for the province, but I can tell you that they did release a framework looking at what conditions would need to be in place in order for businesses and other activities to resume in a safe fashion. They indicated that what we’re going to do is look at the circumstances of how well the disease is being controlled. Is healthcare ready as public health ready? What do our data say? And when we have all the conditions that are right, slowly but surely, we can start to add on and resume services in order to try and get our city back and our province back in the case of the problem.

CP24: What’s your advice for people who want to see their moms and give them hugs on Mother’s Day? De Villa: I think you’ve heard the premier make some very reasonable remarks. He talked about how those 70 years of age and older are more concerned just given what we know about the impact of COVID-19 on those particular individuals. And I think he spoke to the common sense of people and the right that people have to make some reasonable choices around what makes sense for their health based on their understanding of what their health conditions are. So, I think that all makes sense.

I would suggest to people that we do have to be careful, particularly for those who are over a certain age and for those who have chronic conditions, and therefore at higher risk.

But I can appreciate why people want to acknowledge and recognize their mothers.

CP24: What do you think about Mount Pleasant’s decision to open the cemetery for limited hours so people can visit their mothers?

People want to honour their mothers to acknowledge Mother’s Day of the year. I wasn’t specifically consulted, but I will tell you this, maintaining physical distancing while going out and doing those things that are important in our lives is the key at this stage of the game.

This interview has been edited.

Cp24.com

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The Ghanaian News April 2020

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The Ghanaian News April 2020 9

Trudeau Unveils Immediate Ban On 1,500 ‘Military-Grade’ Assault Weapons The government took the step via cabinet order.

OTTAWA — The federal government has outlawed a wide range of rifles with the aim of making Canada safer, saying the guns were designed for the battlefield, not hunting or sport shooting.

“Today we are closing the market for militarygrade assault weapons in Canada,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told a news conference.

prohibited firearms can only be transferred or transported within Canada for specific purposes. Owners must keep the guns securely stored until there is more information on the buyback program.

The ban issued Friday covers some 1,500 models and variants of what the government considers assault-style firearms, meaning they cannot be legally used, sold or imported, starting immediately.

Sean Kilpatrick/CPPrime Minister Justin Trudeau leaves after taking part in a press conference on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on creates a program that will April 30, 2020. allow current owners to receive compensation for “Every single Canadian turning in the designated wants to see less gun violence firearms or keep them and safer communities.” through a grandfathering There is a two-year amnesty process yet to be worked out. period while the government Under the amnesty, the newly

Trudeau cited numerous mass shootings, from Ecole Polytechnique to the killings in Nova Scotia last month, as the reasons for the move.

Some guns have legitimate uses, including recreational shooting, he said, “but you don’t need an AR-15 to bring down a deer.”

The list includes the popular AR-15 rifle and the Ruger Mini-14 used to kill 14 women at Montreal’s Ecole Polytechnique in 1989.

A group that arose from the mass shooting on Danforth

Avenue in Toronto’s Greektown neighbourhood two years ago applauded the measures.

“This is about saving the next person,” said Ken Price, whose daughter Samantha took a bullet to the hip and survived. “This terrible thing happened to us and we don’t want other people to go through it. So let’s do things that improve our odds.

The Liberals promised stricter gun controls in their election campaign platform last fall. Huffpost

Canada Child Benefit Increases $300 Per Child For May Justin Trudeau told parents the one-time boost is for “whatever you need.”

By Zi-Ann Lum Parents who receive the Canada Child Benefit (CCB) will notice an extra $300 per child on their regular May payment.

The government said it’s a one-time increase to help parents alleviate any additional financial costs brought on by the impacts of COVID-19.

“This is money for whatever you need, whether it’s online tutoring or groceries,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a news conference Sunday outside his Ottawa home.

Watch: Dr. Theresa Tam says uncertainty about COVID-19 means adapting to live with the virus. Story continues below video: Trudeau turned his attention to any children watching the broadcast and said he understands how hard the pandemic and its associated distancing requirements is for them.

“This isn’t going to last forever,” he said before encouraging kids to continue making post-COVID-19 plans with their friends — and to cont’d on pg. 14

10

The Ghanaian News April 2020

A look at some of the sector-specific guidelines Ontario businesses need to consider before reopening In preparation for the reopening of businesses across Ontario, the province has released sector-specific guidelines, offering recommendations to companies about how to keep staff and customers safe.

Here is a look at some of the advice the province is giving to businesses to adapt to the “new normal.”

• Do not touch personal items without appropriate PPE, such as gloves.

• Limit the amount of face-to-face contact during work activities such as station duties and hand-overs and practice physical distancing • Approach patient from rear (if possible) and place a paper surgical mask on them or an O2 mask if required

Retail: • Provide online ordering, delivery, or curbside pickup • Eliminate at-the-door payment methods for delivery

• Disinfect personal issue equipment (e.g. handcuffs) and shared equipment ( radio, keyboard, phone, shared workstation) • Limit the amount of face-to-face contact during planned work activities, investigations, search and arrest activities

• Provide training on how to keep cash registers, other equipment clean Construction: • Control how may customers can enter the store at one time • Manage traffic flow with floor markings and barriers Hotels/ Hospitality/ Tourism: • Limit customer contact and consider requiring check-in by phone or online

• Plan for enough tools to be on site so workers don’t have to share • Place work clothes into a bag before taking home to wash • Have appropriate number of toilets and clean-up facilities Film and TV:

• Eliminate contact greetings such as handshakes • Housekeepers should not shake dirty laundry and should remember to clean and disinfect hampers and other carts • Eliminate non-essential tasks (hotel valet services, face to face meetings) • Replace guest buffets with packaged food stations • Eliminate guest self-service, disposable in-room glassware, and non-essential guest room amenities, and remove in-room tea/coffee machines, offering them only on demand Office settings: • Discourage sharing of telephones, keyboards, desks or workstations

• Mark the distance for workstations and seats for guests to maintain physical distance • Consider the use of technology to communicate and interview guests • Consider long handles for microphones rather than arm’s length/hand-held • Increase your cleaning frequency – on everything from desks, seats and vehicles to commonly touched surfaces like cameras, computers, microphones, phones, door handles and switches • Postpone non-essential projects and tasks • Replace buffets with wrapped food items on set Transport drivers:

• Develop systems to conduct work away from the office • If direct client contact is essential and cannot be avoided, then staff should consider using personal protective equipment

• Clean vehicle cab frequently • During deliveries, limit the amount of face-to-face contact

• Provide easy access to soap and water

• Wear gloves when handling packages

• Postpone non-essential face-to-face appointments or convert to virtual/video appointments

Utilities:

• Stagger start times and breaks • Reposition workstations to increase physical distances or install barriers and partitions

• Limit the transfer of tools • Do not share pens, rubber gloves, or any PPE • Properly disinfect trucks and equipment upon returning to the shop area

Transit:

Waste Collection:

• Consider eliminating access close to operator/ driver with signage or by forcing passengers to enter or exit buses through rear doors

• To ensure physical distancing, stagger start times and breaks

• Place posters or other signage in high passenger traffic areas asking passengers to stay home if sick, to travel only when necessary, and practice good respiratory and hand hygiene • Institute measures to physically separate or impose physical distance of at least two metres between transit operators and passengers using partitions, visual cues or signage

• Restrict the number of people on site • Avoid sharing tools Food Service: • Protect food from contamination by using guards or covering for food and utensils

• Transit workers should use or wear personal protective equipment that the worker’s employer requires to be used or worn

• Food prepared for takeout and delivery should be packaged to protect food from contamination

Emergency services:

• PPE should be used as appropriate

• Ensure that appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) is being worn to limit exposure during close contact

Manufacturing:

• Conduct active screening at the beginning of an interaction with members of the public when a firefighter is required to be closer than 2 metres

• Put barriers in place between workers as well as workers and the product • Consider job rotation cont’d on pg 14

The Ghanaian News April 2020 11

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The Ghanaian News April 2020

FOCUS Earth Day turns 50 as the World struggles with the Stress of Coronavirus Pandemic

By Joe Kingsley Eyiah, OCT, Brookview Middle School, Toronto-Canada

In April, this year (2020), Earth Day turned 50 years old as the world struggles to combat the deadly Coronavirus pandemic.

I remembered my Wildlife Club days in Ghana during which I spent time educating people on the need to preserve our environment. Last school year some Grade 6 students of my school had earlier during the winter spent a day at the Forest Valley Outdoor Education Centre in Toronto. They engaged in activities like maple syrup tapping and, prey and predators. In the forest they had enjoyed nature so much. They came far in understanding what our environment means to us. Destroy the environment and we destroy our lives! Preserve the environment and we enjoy our lives to the full!

Unfortunately, to many people the preservation of the environment means stifling of physical development in the area. What a sad misconception! Today, the challenge of creating and maintaining a sustainable environment is probably the single most pressing issue that confronts our planet-earth. From North America to Africa, our changing environment has resulted in numerous environmental problems on our hands.

What are some of the causes of these environmental problems? And how do we solve these problems to save our environment?

The Danger: Over the years, physical development and human activities have posed a great danger to our environment.

Industrial pollution, deforestation,

of food and water, use more and more energy and raw materials, and produce enormous amounts of waste and pollution,” says the 1997 World Population Report published by Saunders College.

over population, unauthorized construction and dumping of waste in surface waters, to mention a few, have brought degradation to the environment threatening our very existence on the planet earth.

Reports have it that at least 170 facilities that handle chemicals, including substances that are toxic or flammable, are scattered across Toronto. And that many of these facilities are close to schools, play grounds and some of the most heavily populated areas of the metropolitan.

Sadly, most residents have no idea what chemicals are being used in their neighborhoods or whether adequate precautions are being taken in case of emergency.

In Accra-Ghana, some developers have constructed unauthorized buildings in and across the drainage of the city.

The result is the loss of property and lives during heavy rainfall as Accra becomes flooded.

The world’s human population this year was expected to have doubled by the over 6 billion we had in 1999 should the trend of population explosion continue.

“The increasing population is placing a nonsustainable stress on the environment, as humans consume everincreasing quantities

becomes important and the responsibility of all residents. I’m heartened to learn that as part of a plan to improve recycling rates at apartment building in Toronto, the City is making sure that all buildings receiving Hmmmm! Should we go city garbage collection by the unsubstantiated also receive recycling conspiracy theory collection. The goal is circulating that the to have all buildings on Coronavirus we are the program by the end fighting the world of this year. Good for over this year was a Toronto! I hope Accra ‘biological weapon’ learns from Toronto’s used to control/ experience. reduce the explosive population of the Another area is world then we need managing our air and to rethink our actions water. We have to as the stewards of our prevent or minimize environment-mother air and water pollution.

EARTH. Hence the Pollution is an importance of Earth unwanted change Day! in the atmosphere, water or soil that can The Amazon in South harm humans or other America and the organisms. equatorial forests of Africa are losing most Though many of their flora and fauna governments have species to deforestation. made legislation/ Illegal mining activities regulations controlling and other unsustainable pollution in their industrial expansions countries, we have an around the world are obligation as concerned doing unrepairable citizens of the planetdamage to our earth wherever we are environment. to be the watchdogs of the environment.

Managing Our Environment: Unfortunately, there are no rules requiring ‘Cleanliness is next to Canadian companies godliness.’ I personally believe in this axiom.

How clean we keep our environment shows how responsible we are to the Creator-God! The Creator put man in the first environment on earth-the Garden of Eden and instructed man to keep it. How are we keeping our environment?

As human settlements develop into cities like Accra in Ghana and Toronto in Canada, garbage disposal management becomes crucial.

Such management if neglected or poorly handled leads to environmental hazard.

This is where recycling

to disclose all the chemicals they use in the manufacture of products ranging from cleaning solvents to shingles and plastics.

Many workers at such factories and residents close to the factories may be at risk. I therefore call on the Canadian government to set aside the selfregulation of Canada’s chemical industry and put in place rules that will require all Canadian companies to make public all the chemicals they use in manufacturing their products.

Wildlife and Tourism: Africa is fast losing its wildlife to poaching.

Illegal hunting of game in most reserves in Africa is vanishing the continent’s wildlife. It is very important for African governments to use education and enforcement of laws to protect our wildlife.

I visited Banff in the province of Albert, Canada in 1998 and I was thrilled with the reserves and conservation of wildlife by the Canadian government.

Such protection of the environment at Banff and other parks

in Canada brings in millions of dollars to the Canadian economy through tourism each year. Many tourists enjoy the opportunities for camping and viewing wildlife found in Canada. For example, in 1999 Americans made over 15 million trips to Canada. They accounted for 66% of the tourist spending in Canada.

African governments should take the protection of our vast wildlife seriously to attract millions of tourists to the continent every year. That’s money!

We should also make people who exploit our forest for timber plant and nurture 3 trees for every tree they fell. We must save our environment from further pollution and degradation at the hands of selfish industrialists, developers and poachers As we fight Coronavirus pandemic this year we must not forget to also manage our environment for a sustainable future!

Earth Day turned 50 this year. HAPPY EARTH DAY TO ALL!

The Ghanaian News April 2020 13

THE COVID 19 GHANA WATCH

Bring Back The Hygienic Way

By Edmund Agbeko, Toronto T h e increasing number of reported infections in the battle against the

Coronavirus should not leave us troubled and hopeless but instead, it should revive the can-do-spirit of the Ghanaian in us all. The spirits of boldness, self-reliance and brilliance handed down to us by our ancestors who laboured and toiled to salvage this patch of African land from the colonial masters should revive our talents and might to combat this pandemic.

We do not lose track of the fact that there are scientific underlying concepts in all that we see around us.

The principles of gravity shows that “whatever goes up must come down under a constant pull”, which means that even though the infections are rising, they will definitely fall. It is therefore, our responsibility to live and practise good sanitation not for our individual good but for the good of our families, friends and loved ones. The domestic efforts by each family will build up into liberation from the deadly virus.

Spread Micro-organisms in the environment thrive in favourable conditions for multiplication and domination of a given terrain. That means, when the conditions are right, they will multiply.

For instance, research shows that a dumpy, dark, aerated and organically rich environment will support bacteria survival, their multiplication and their numbers and spread in the population in no time. Hence, a mitigation measure against the growth and spread of bacteria involves the removal of one or more of the conditions for survival.

And so, the preservation of food from bacteria involves either heating or freezing, which eliminates moisture from the food and delays the growth of the micro-organism.

Similarly, the ban on social gatherings eliminates crowding which promotes easy human contacts and spread of the coronavirus. That gives medics the convenience of effectively treating only a few infected persons and saving the country from the mass infections and burial of untreated persons. In a well-nurtured farm, the crops have no option but to sprout and blossom. What a great opportunity we have to blossom and increase in fruitfulness. The chance is in keeping ourselves cleansed from impurities.

Clean from the works of darkness and perversion. We have an opportunity to save our lives and the country through our collective efforts of keeping both spiritual and physical purity. A clean house will receive the share of God’s blessings. Let us clean our hearts and minds, as well as our physical environment to reduce the spread of the coronavirus. In a coronavirus-free society, we are free to work to meet our needs.

Furthermore, you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free’ is a religious quotation that finds application in the law court. The accused person escapes prison and walks free based on established truth.

Similarly, a knowledge of the truth underlying the mitigation measures to the spread of the coronavirus will set us free from its effects. It is for this reason that the measures by the government needs the support and participation of all to set the country free.

Our failure to comply with the laid down measures, sourced from the best brains of the land, will cripple the nation and halt economic activities. Let us rise to the task and play our roles as worthy soldiers of the 21st Century, soldiers who will save their land through healthy living and practices.

The commitment of GH¢100 million to fight the disease and the special coordination office at the Presidency will help lift our homeland from the unfriendly micro-organism.

I do not think there is a single Ghanaian who believes that the state of our healthcare delivery system is top-class.

The President’s acknowledgment that the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has exposed the state of our healthcare during one of his address to the nation, was not a revelation per se, but rather an emphasis on the obvious.

Of course the deterioration has not been an event, but rather a process, capturing years of underinvestment and the lack of full commitment to ensuring that every citizen, from a street sweeper to the President, is guaranteed decent healthcare in their lifetime should the need ever arise. I think that one of the things COVID-19 has taught us is to be on the watch and prevent things from happening in the first place. Our health professionals remind us that fruits and vegetables are crucial to our health and must be incorporated into our diets. We must go beyond that.

For instance, the state, with its enormous purchasing power, can incorporate these into the school feeding programme and the dining hall menus in our senior high schools. The upside of this is that aside helping to fortify these young bodies, we get to inculcate a positive eating behaviour that hopefully they will carry into adulthood.

Further, in intensifying public education, our churches and mosques could be drafted in to propagate the message of living well and taking the necessary preventive measures for a healthy life, including sexual behaviour, diet, alcohol consumption and exercise, in addition to the various in-house events organized by many of these bodies to educate the faithful.

We have a God-given responsibility to keep our homes and surroundings clean. We must all be spurred on to achieve the greater responsibility of developing the country ourselves and solving our own challenges. Let us clean our homes, offices, communities and churches and support the national mitigation measures to restore Ghana and make it great and strong.

COVID19 Challenges of Working at Home

By William Doyle-Marshall, Victoria, BC

something from the store but thinking twice about leaving home starts to add up and it accumulates and adds to the stress burden,” the UWI Scholar noted.

As the world faces a serious range of challenges around COVID19 there are serious personal concerns so the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) is presenting a serious of podcasts aimed at helping nationals survive. Dr. Katijah Khan, lecturer in clinical psychology at the St. Augustine Branch of the University of the West Indies in the Department of Clinical Medical Science is the first participant in the series.

As a member of the university’s COVID Task Force, Dr. Khan, in an interview with CTO’s Communications Specialist Johnston John-Rose, shared some interesting tips on how to cope in the present reality of COVID 19 while working at home and caring for children and elderly family members.

“What we first have to realize is we are facing an unprecedented crisis that has impacted almost every aspect of life. When we think of the kind of stresses, things that cause stress, this COVID19 fits every category,” Dr. Khan emphasized.

In acknowledging that COVID19 is a dramatic global disaster the scholar informs us that the virus has brought significant changes and strains and that imposition has resulted in levels of adjustment in “our personal, social and professional lives” in order to comply with these restrictions.

“It’s also a chronic stressor as the uncertainty means that we do not know exactly how long this threat will last for.

It also is a source of daily hassles where even minor things like needing

“The first thing to realize is, stress reactions is subjective and variable.

So people are going to react differently and with different intensities. So we need to understand our own reactions and figure out whether it is the result of stress and we also need to recognize it in others,” Dr. Khan explained. In the work setting it is important she noted for managers and leaders to know their staff and their colleagues and for people to check in and see how they are doing; how they are managing and cooping. “So that’s on one hand – understanding the psychological impact the pandemic is having on us and what do we do about it,” Dr. Khan observed.

So according to the clinical psychologist, Caricom nationals and their colleagues around the world are all at heightened levels of stress and it will be like this for a while yet to come.

With the fluid nature of the situation there is not even time for a new normal to be established. As such the first thing to manage about work is our perceptions and notions about working and working from home.

“Working from home is not like working from home during a crisis. Working from home during a crisis is a totally different ball game and this has implications for expectations and our productivity. It is not simply a change in a mode but it is also an upending of many of the systems and plans that we usually have to facilitate our work and which we take for granted. As examples, Dr. Khan sighted having a designated work space, childcare, access to resources, freedom of mobility, managing tasks and managing the different roles people play. “So as such the goal during

this period may not necessarily be to be more productive than ever but rather how can we execute our professional duties while preserving our physical and mental health to get through this crisis with an intact sense of hope and well-being,” the scholar continued.

“Now more than ever we need to be kind and patient and understanding and that starts with ourselves. We need to be kind and patient with ourselves if we are not managing to hold it all together.

To understand that the anxiety and the fear and the uneasiness is a normal and healthy reaction to what we are facing with this pandemic and we need to tackle it with adaptive ways to cope. Facing up to the reality of what we are dealing with is the first step and understanding that this situation does bring with it anxieties and challenges. Once we get that awareness then we can move on to what’s the best way to cope and problemsolve to get it done,” Dr. Khan advised.

We have to understand the impact on our colleagues, our families and ourselves.

People have different demands on themselves and their time. People have different roles to play. For instance a colleague who is single and lives alone, the impact of this pandemic and the work at home restrictions is going to be very different from someone who has three children of school age and has an elderly sick parent in the same household. We need to understand that there are going to be different realities and people are going to vary in terms of how they need to adjust.

So we need to modify the expectations to suit the reality.

The world is now on lockdown along with Caricom states. This now puts the tourism industry at a standstill while governments have implemented strict orders keeping citizens indoors during curfew times.

14

The Ghanaian News April 2020

Wilma Morrison OOnt: volunteer, educator, advocate, Black historian

by Rosemary Sadlier OOnt. There are times when we glance over the story of a person who has passed, and really wonder, why that person should be known, why that person was important, what the context of their life might have been. We read and we feel that the accomplishments pale in relation to others we may have known, or that their particular story is so removed from the experience that we have, that somehow, no notice need be taken.

I hope that when you read further, that you will have an idea about why I am highlighting this person and why her story, and the story of so many others, perhaps not yet known to you, ought to be known.

Wilma Morrison was born in London, Ontario in 1929 and while she had hoped to enter nursing, the Ontario of the earlier part of era did not allow for Black women to enter this profession - those who did required the resources to live away in the U.S. or possibly Britain, if they could gain admission. She moved into Niagara Falls likely upon her marriage to Lorne (who predeceased her in 2001) and became more involved in both the spiritual and the cultural fabric the Niagara Region.

When the Nathaniel Dett Chapel of the British Methodist Episcopal Church of Canada was threatened with closure or sale due to the inability of the struggling Conference body to continue to cover costs that mounted at the same rate as the congregation declined, Wilma set out to ensure that not only the Black History talks that she had been doing in the church, and sometimes in the adjacent Norval Johnson Memorial Library which she had also helped to create, but also the church structure was retained.

Securing its independence from the BME Conference, this Niagara Falls “BME” Church now became a community church and was seeking support through what Wilma, as well as others, could do. They provided talks at the site, expanded what exhibits they could mount in the sitting room at the back of the church and through other means including construction type grants.

I had known Wilma for a very long time - through Provincial Conferences of the BME Church, but more so as our interests in Black History converged. I had helped the nearby St. Catharines BME Church start to

consider providing Black History talks and possibly lunches to those interested in the church and Harriet Tubman. Later, I was able to see to the multi governmental plaquing of this site and Wilma was there! In fact, one of my American colleagues reminded me that he first met her in St. Catharines.

However, about 1995, Wilma and I, and a few other Black History folks were invited by the Government of Canada to participate in a joint, Bi-National Charette and Study of the Underground Railroad.

This was an intensive 2 week excursion with visits to numerous Black History sites on both sides of the border with much transportation provided by coach bus.

Staff from Parks Canada and the U.S. National Park Services were also part of this learning and shari experience and Wilma, even though one of the oldest (and the one who’d not ride on the bus but rather in the follow up vehicle because of the high steps) were delighted with her engagement, her wit, and her personality.

Our paths have crossed many times, including at the first visit to Toronto of the first African Canadian Governor General Michaelle Jean and most recently as

the commemorative plaque that I was the proponent for, on Blacks in the Military. She was unable to speak as she had hoped, to give her presentation, but she did assist with the unveiling of the plaque at Fort George ceremony.

For her part, Wilma was a strong and constant reminder of the early Black presence in this country.

This, at a time, when even members of this Diasporic community fail to recognize that the Diaspora includes the continent of Africa, includes the indigenous African Canadians. Her reasons for working to do what she could were because of this. Those in the mainstream over look, or don’t know and those who ought to know do not always have this information

or stubbornly ignore the diversity that is here within our community.

Wilma Morrison was honoured with the Order of Ontario and she “received an honorary degree from Brock University in 2010 for her efforts in promoting and preserving Black history and Niagara and Canada’s connections to the Underground Railroad” [Brock mourns long-time friend and honorary degree recipient Wilma Morrison | https:// brocku.ca/brocknews/2020/04/brockmourns-long-timefriend-and-honorarydegree-recipient-wilmamorrison/ #brocku] At a recent event where I was to speak along with others, I was seated by a woman who is from a

West African country.

I am from here. The MC spoke about how we are all Caribbean (in so many words) and my seat mate and I just looked at each other, and shared a sigh. One more time the full reality of the Black community is suggested an a monolith not a varied and rich layered entity.

So the importance of a Wilma Morrison is not just advocating for Black History in her area, nor that it resounding throughout the Province and internationally, but that she claimed her presence, her long term presence in this country, a presence that some of us share or that we build on, but that we must never forget. She died, due to complications associated with Covid-19 on April 23, 2020.

A look at some of the sector-specific guidelines Ontario businesses need to consider before reopening cont’d frompg 10

• Have fewer workers doing the same task in the same space • Keep visitors and staff a safe distance apart by using floor markings, installing barriers and partitions, and changing the work layout where possible to increase physical distance • Reschedule unnecessary visits by supply chain partners, vendors, service technicians, or others.

Auto Service:

Canada Child Benefit Increases $300 Per Child For May cont’d frompg. 9

• Limiting services to by-appointment only and limiting the number of appointments per day • If service bays are fairly close together, only use every other service bay

keep up on their homework and chores.

Agriculture:

“Thanks for all your help around the house, with your parents and on sticking together through this difficult time,” Trudeau said.

• Ensure farm entry is limited to personnel performing essential activities

Who is eligible?

• Pre-authorized visitors to the farm should call ahead and schedule a meeting or drop-off time

The automatic $300 increase applies per child. Families with two children will receive an extra $600, and $900 for three kids.

Eligibility is based on eligible child or children under someone’s care in May; and if they’ve filed their 2018 tax returns.

More than $21.5 billion has been distributed through the CCB since July 2019, according to government data.

Three million families across the country are expected to receive the top-up to their tax-free CCB benefits for May. The one-time increase is one of many benefits the government is using to get money to Canadians affected by widespread physical distancing measures to curb the spread of COVID-19.

Parliament has passed legislation to approve $164 billion in funding for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit, Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy, and the Canada Emergency Student Benefit. Huffpost

• Try to limit the number of employees using farm equipment and if possible, assign each employee to their own piece of equipment Other guidelines: Handling and receiving packages (at home and at work): • Request contactless delivery • Use your own pen when signing for deliveries • Wash hands immediately after receiving the package • Clean and sanitize table tops, counters and floors where the package was placed. CP24

The Ghanaian News April 2020 15

Province unveils plan to start resuming scheduled surgeries and procedures The Ontario government has unveiled a plan for how the province will begin to safely resume scheduled surgeries and procedures.

•

On March 15, the province began to slow down scheduled surgical and procedural work in order to create capacity for hospitals in case there was a massive surge in COVID-19 patients.

While this directive is still in place, the Ministry of Health says it may be possible for hospitals to begin planning for the “gradual resumption” of surgeries and procedures that have been postponed.

“We’re taking a responsible and gradual approach to resuming scheduled surgeries, one that will keep our health care system strong, protect our frontline staff and patients, and ensure our hospitals stay prepared for any potential outbreak or surge of COVID-19,” Premier Doug Ford said Thursday. “We’re asking each hospital to come up with a plan based on their community’s needs and the trends they’re seeing on the ground. Together, we can get surgeries back on track as soon as possible.”

The government said this new plan would allow for some surgeries and procedures to resume while the province also ensures there is capacity for any COVID-19 surge.

The province said there are a number of factors to consider before going ahead with surgeries, including

Premier Doug Ford the safety of the patient and health-care workers and the therapeutic benefit of treatment against the risk of transmitting COVID-19.

The province has not announced a specific date for when surgeries and procedures can continue.

In order to resume scheduled surgeries and procedures, each hospital must have:

• A stable number of COVID-19 cases • A stable supply of personal protective equipment • A stable supply of medications • An adequate capacity of inpatient and intensive care unit beds • An adequate capacity of health human resources

The availability of post-acute care outside the hospital that would be required to support patients after discharge

The cancellation of cancer and cardiac-related surgeries caused the greatest level of concern, as patients feared their conditions would worsen as they awaited their much-needed procedures. A model of the impact, prepared by researchers connected to the University Health Network, projected that 35 cardiac patients would die as a result of a postponed surgery.

Health Minister Christine Elliott said last week that cancer and cardiac surgeries “would be among the first” to return, along with hip and knee replacements and suggested that the province is working to create a “COVID-free” hospitals dedicated to performing urgently needed surgeries.

“Because of collective efforts of every Ontarian, we are now in position to begin to plan for gradual resumption of scheduled and elective surgeries and procedures,” Elliott said Thursday.

“Ensuring our readiness required us to make tough decisions, no decision tougher than delaying surgeries.

I know it’s been concerning to many people, (but) doing so ensured our readiness to protect Ontarians health as we prepared for worst case scenario.”

CTV News Toronto

Pandemic academics teach us that classrooms still matter COVID-19 has reminded us that technology is an extremely poor substitute for in-person learning School is out across Canada, thanks to COVID-19.

And classes won’t resume until the chief provincial public health officers and elected provincial leaders say it’s safe to do so. That will come as soon as next week in Quebec. Many other provinces will be much more circumspect.

For weeks, it has meant that teachers have become distance learning educators. School divisions scrambled to ensure the proper supports were in place for families who don’t have Internet access or computers at home.

Unfortunately, some people are using this pandemic to promote their particular education ideologies.

On one side, we have those who want to fully privatize public education.

Instead of a well-funded public system, they would love to replace teachers with online tutors. These proponents suggest that, when things go back to normal, at least some online instruction should continue to be mandatory. For them, this pandemic is a convenient excuse to get rid of classroom teachers.

On the other side, progressive educators see the pandemic as an opportunity to take the next step in 21st-century learning. They want schools to ditch prescribed content knowledge and focus on transferable skills such as creativity and critical thinking. At long last, they argue, each teacher will be a ‘guide on the side’ rather than a ‘sage on the stage.’

Both sides are wrong.

Education has looked very different over the last several weeks, and will do so in future weeks, but not because a fundamental transformation is taking place.

The distance learning programs being implemented now are stop-gap measures designed to ensure students keep learning during this emergency period. While some students thrive in this newly-created independent setting, parents and teachers are seeing firsthand that, for most students, in-person courses are a much better delivery option than online courses.

If anything, this pandemic has reminded us that technology is an extremely poor substitute for in-person teaching and learning. For young students, personal contact is, in fact, vital.

As for so-called 21st-century learning, the reality is that students learn best when they acquire substantial content knowledge beginning at an early age and learn a number of important skills (such as standard math algorithms).

Practise and repetition are important ways of committing these skills and

a substantial amount of knowledge to memory.

Obviously, it’s harder to cover the academic basics when students are learning at home. Schoolwork has become a lot more open-ended and flexible than normal – and that’s to be expected. After all, we are in the midst of a global pandemic.

However, this isn’t an excuse for schools to jettison the academic basics when classes finally resume. The worst thing we can do is turn schools into progressive bastions of fluffy selfexploration where students are never forced to grapple with meaty academic skills and content.

The long-term changes likely to result from this pandemic are considerably more modest. Creating effective distance learning options for students who can’t attend regular class is certainly one. We should also expect

better access to technology for all students and improved communication protocols in the event of future emergencies.

There’s an old legal maxim that hard cases make for bad law. This is certainly true in public education. No one should assume that what schools are doing now will become the model for how schools should look in the future.

Meanwhile, the work of teaching and learning continues.

Michael Zwaagstra is a public high school teacher, author and a senior fellow with the Frontier Centre for Public Policy. He has extensive teaching experience at a variety of grade levels and currently teaches high school social studies in Manitoba.

By Michael Zwaagstra Senior Fellow Frontier Centre for Public Policy

16

The Ghanaian News April 2020

IMMIGRATION AND SOCIAL ISSUES By: James A. Kwaateng, B.A. (Hons), LLB (Hons)

Non-possession of a Valid Permanent Resident Card is not necessarily loss of Permanent Resident Status Pursuant to section 27 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act of Canada (IRPA), a permanent resident has the right to enter and remain in Canada, subject to the provisions of the Act. A permanent resident card (PRC) is a document that proves someone is a permanent resident and it establishes one’s right to enter Canada at a Canadian port-of-entry. The permanent resident card is usually issued for a five-year period. A person’s permanent resident status is not necessarily rendered invalid by expiration of the person’s permanent resident card.

However, at any given point in time, a permanent resident is supposed to demonstrate that he or she has met the 730-day requirement in the past five years.

A residency determination can be triggered any time someone seeks to re-renter Canada as a permanent resident. Section 70(1)(b) of the Immigration Regulations requires that a prospective permanent resident satisfy the officer that he or she is coming to Canada to establish permanent

Canadian permanent resident is outside Canada employed full-time by a Canadian business or in the federal public administration or the public service of a province, the regulations regarding residency requirements could be relaxed. The loss of permanent resident status is viewed with seriousness. The permanent resident is therefore given every opportunity to residence. Section 28 of IRPA demonstrate his inability to requires a permanent resident meet the requirements of to comply with the residency section 28 is not a deliberate obligation by demonstrating act. that for a total of at least 730 days in the preceding five-year A permanent resident who is period, they were physically outside Canada accompanying present in Canada. a permanent resident who is their spouse or commonThe same section 28 of IRPA law partner or, in the case of offers exceptions.

If the a child, their parent and who permanent resident is outside is employed on a full-time Canada accompanying a basis by a Canadian business Canadian citizen who is their or in the federal public spouse or common-law partner administration or the public or, in the case of a child, service of a province could accompanying their parent, also fall within the exception there could be some flexibility despite the fact the person regarding compliance with the they are accompanying is a residency requirement. This permanent resident. But again, however does not apply to a this does not cover a parent parent residing outside Canada living outside with his or her with his or her child who is a child who is a permanent Canadian citizen. Also, if a resident.

A person applying for citizenship does not necessarily have to possess a valid permanent resident card.

The person should simply meet the requirements of section 28 of IRPA. There is a general mistaken assumption that the validity of Permanent Resident Card determines the validity of Permanent Resident status itself. The fact of the matter is one can be a permanent resident of Canada without a having a valid permanent resident card. Permanent resident status in Canada is not dependent on possession of a valid permanent resident card.

A permanent resident card however cannot be issued to someone who has lost his permanent resident status.

Permanent resident status can be lost in one the ways set out in s.46 (1) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA). This section of the Act, states, among other things, that one loses his permanent resident status the moment he becomes a Canadian citizen.

It also states that the status is lost on a final determination of a decision made outside of Canada that they have failed

to comply with the residency obligation under section 28 of the Act. The section indicates further that permanent resident status is lost when a removal order made against the permanent resident comes into force and is also lost on approval by an officer of one’s application to renounce their permanent resident status.

The expiry of one’s permanent resident card or nonpossession of one, per se, does not necessarily impact one’s permanent resident status negatively just as nonpossession of a national passport does not affect one’s citizenship.

Losing your permanent resident status does not happen as automatically as many people think but once it is lost, you cannot have a permanent resident card.

James A. Kwaateng is an Immigration Law Practitioner who has his offices located at 168A Oakdale Road, Suite 4, Toronto, Ontario. For a thorough discussion of your immigration and associated legal issues, you may contact him at telephone number (416) 743-2758 for an appointment.

Why Is Ghana Not Among Those With Best COVID-19 Responses?

On April 13, 2020, Forbes, a renowned US-based global media company, named Germany, Iceland, Taiwan, Finland, Norway, New Zealand and Denmark as countries with the best coronavirus policy responses.

Forbes asked the question, “What do these countries with the best coronavirus responses have in common?” And the answer given by Forbes was that the seven countries had in common ‘women leaders’.

Is the absence of a woman leader in Ghana the reason why the country is still not named among the countries with the best coronavirus responses?

Ghana’s President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo responded to the COVID-19 pandemic by imposing a three-week partial lockdown on Accra, Tema, Kumasi and Kasoa beginning from March 30, 2020.

The partial lockdown affected the centres of the country’s economy. The country had then recorded 137 cases of COVID-19, with four deaths.

On April 19, 2020, when the President announced the end of the lockdown from April 20, it had recorded 1,042 cases with 99 recoveries and nine deaths. The President argued that the decisions of the government were “backed by data and by science”.

This piece examines the political- economy data.

Informal sector The World Bank cautioned that copycat lockdowns would not work in Africa, because the majority of the workforce were found in the informal sector and their survival was on a daily basis.

The April 2020 edition of the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) rebased 2013-2019 annual GDP report states that out of the GH¢349,480 billion of the total value of goods and services produced in 2019, the informal sector accounted for GH¢92,469 billion.

According to the GSS 2015 Labour Force Report, “90 per cent of the currently employed population 15 years and older are in the informal sector.”

Informal sector employment accounted for 86.4 per cent of the total employment in the Ashanti Region and 84.1 per cent in Greater Accra Region. Ghana’s lockdown had a serious effect on the informal sector.

Private sector The lockdown threatened the collapse of private sector businesses in the affected areas.

According to the GSS Labour Force Report, private sector employment represented 92.1 per cent and 89 per cent of total employment in the Greater Accra and Ashanti regions respectively.

The lockdown led to the closure of many private sector businesses, reduction of salaries of many workers in the private sector and termination of jobs in the private sector.

It was not surprising that on April 17, 2020, an Accra-based television station captured on video hundreds of traders and buyers who had defied the presidential lockdown to engage in night trading activities on the blind side of the security forces.

The National Disaster Management Organisation estimated that the distribution of 400,000 packs of cooked food a day cost Ghana GH¢2 million a day (about $350,000).

The Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori- Atta, who is also the Chair of the IMF/World Bank Development Committee, quickly ran to the IMF for financial bailout despite the government’s loud rhetoric of creating a ‘Ghana Beyond Aid’.

On April 13, 2020, the IMF Executive Board approved a US$1 billion Rapid Credit Facility for Ghana.

Political dynamics Let us turn to the political dynamics of the lockdown. The New Patriotic Party (NPP) government won the 2016 presidential election cont’d on pg 30

The Ghanaian News April 2020 17

Hоw long does it tаkе to fіlе fоr consumer proposal іn Ontаrіо

BY AJAY OBEROI

• Mееtіng a gеnuіnе truѕtее thаt саn propose a gооd соnѕumеr рrороѕаl suitable for уоur nееdѕ,

Thе length оf tіmе it tаkеѕ tо complete a consumer рrороѕаl іn Ontario depends оn a number of fасtоrѕ, thіѕ іnсludеѕ;

• Thе Truѕtее еԛuаllу assist уоu in fіlіng аnd submitting the рrороѕаl which уоu аrе оblіgеd tо wait fоr a реrіоd of 45 days fоr уоur сrеdіtоrѕ to accept оr reject thе соnѕumеr

рrороѕаl, • Onсе уоur рrороѕаl іѕ ассерtеd, уоu аrе obliged tо follow аll оf thе аgrееd соndіtіоnѕ of the рrороѕаl аnd mаkе all thе рауmеntѕ оf thе рrороѕаl as аgrееd tо bу your Truѕtее.

• In case уоur consumer рrороѕаl іѕ dеnіеd, уоu can rеѕubmіt аftеr concrete corrections

Bу the Canadian law, a consumer proposal іѕ ореn which means уоu hаvе thе privilege to рау thеm off mоrе rapidly in оrdеr tо bе secured and оn thе аdvаntаgеоuѕ lіnе.

Mоѕt consumer рrороѕаlѕ іnvоlvе a mоnthlу payment over аnуwhеrе frоm 12 mоnthѕ tо 60 mоnthѕ this рrоduсеѕ the lоwеѕt possible рауmеnt оvеr tіmе. The exemption tо thе ѕtаndаrd оf offering a 60 months рауmеnt term may bе оn thе оff chance that уоu expect a ѕіngulаr amount tо be ассеѕѕіblе tо оffеr уоur lоаn сrеdіtоrѕ.

Maybe уоu hоре to get a reward ѕооn оr соntіnuе from thе sale оf аn аѕѕеt.

In thеѕе conditions, you саn mаkе a ѕіngulаr аmоunt tо your сrеdіtоrѕ.

Similar ѕtаndаrdѕ аррlу аnуwау wіth respect to whаt асknоwlеdgmеnt уоur lоаn сrеdіtоrѕ will expect аt thе еnd.

In summary, consumer proposals саn offer a great deal оf flexibility іn respect оf рауmеnt tеrmѕ. Kеер in mіnd thаt a рrороѕаl must be ассерtеd bу a majority of уоur creditors based on thе amount they аrе оwеd.

In addition, іf уоu were tо fаll bеhіnd by mоrе than thrее payments, your рrороѕаl would bе annulled. In case of you have credit or debt issues visit www.gtacredit. com or call 416 650 1100

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The Ghanaian News April 2020

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The Ghanaian News April 2020 21

HELP REDUCE THE SPREAD OF COVID-19 TAKE STEPS TO REDUCE THE SPREAD OF THE CORONAVIRUS DISEASE (COVID-19) :

Follow the advice of your local public health authority.

Try not to touch your eyes, nose or mouth.

Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.

Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

SYMPTOMS

Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.

Cough and sneeze into your sleeve and not your hands.

Stay home as much as possible and if you need to leave the house practice physical distancing (approximately 2 m).

IF YOU HAVE SYMPTOMS

Symptoms of COVID-19 may be very mild or more serious and may take up to 14 days to appear after exposure to the virus.

Isolate at home to avoid spreading illness to others.

Avoid visits with older adults, or those with medical conditions.

They are at higher risk of developing serious illness.

Call ahead before you visit a health care professional or call your local public health authority.

If your symptoms get worse, contact your health care provider or public health authority right away and follow their instructions.

FEVER (greater or equal to 38 °C)

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The Ghanaian News April 2020

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The Ghanaian News April 2020 23

The Corona Virus Pandemic

Views and measures taken by Community Members around the World Kwame Nyarko Aidoo, Technician, Columbus Ohio, USA, currently on vacation at Agona Swedru Ghana: The COVID-19 has affected my travelling plans. I cannot return anytime soon to USA to resume work since the airport is closed down.

Secondly, I need some parts for my car and cannot get them since spare parts shops are closed hence limiting my movement (the partial lockdown has since been lifted as at Monday 20th April).

Since majority of the people here in Ghana are selfemployed (buy & sell)and make daily income, it is very difficult to exercise a total lockdown that will otherwise deprive more people of their daily bread.

The lockdown by the way was not being observed fully no wonder the government lifted the ban.

People must take the pandemic seriously, and adhere to laid down rules to combat it and stop relying on prayers alone for survival. The continuous increase in affected people daily should warn and alert people to observe the laid down protocols to flatten the curve.

Kofi Essel, Teacher, Leer, Germany:

Joe Otoo, School Proprietor Yokohama, Japan

As a Ghanaian residing in the city of Leer in Niedersacshsen (Federal State) in Germany, the rapid outbreak and spread of the COVID-19 pandemic has not only restricted the purchasing of certain items but also impacted on social life with fear of contracting the virus. Since March, 2020 when the lockdown was announced, schools, high institutions, many shopping centers were closed down. My daily activities have revolved around walking for a few kilometers with facemask, listening to the news, calling relatives and friends in Ghana and elsewhere to check on them.

On the 16th April 2020, the Federal government eased the lockdown making it possible for the small sale businesses to operate again. This is an unusual situation and requires self-discipline and hope that Ghanaians in the diaspora as well as our relativesback home would do well to cooperate and adhere to the various measures put in place by the authorities in the diaspora and Government of Ghana. Wishing all to stay safe and healthy.

The Corona virus has actually broken me physically, financially and spiritually as well. I have no words to describe it.

The way that it has almost brought the entire world to a standstill is mindboggling. I am running an English conversation school over here in Japan. I switched to online classes and it was not a full class as new students are not enrolling thus affecting my income drastically.

Restriction of movement isn’t here, the government only advises people to stay home to stop the spreading of the virus. Queuing for basic necessities like toilet rolls, face masks and other things happened for only a week or two and it was due to fake news.

Now everything can be bought without stress. Most government workers over here work from home and earn their normal salary which is even better than taking rush hour trains to and from work.

To the African leaders, the corona virus should be a lesson to them that we don’t have to rely always on wealthy countries to feed them as some are being self-reliant as well as allow them to dump their unwanted and untested medicines in Africa. Some African countries are taking the initiative to innovate during this pandemic which is very good. I appeal to all diasporans to follow the protocols issued by the governments and health officials of where they are residing.

The Corona Virus Pandemic

Views and measures taken by Community Members around the World GiftyAnnobil,Former Broadcast Journalist, Metro TV, Accra Ghana currently in the USA: The news started trickling in as a flu in China, CNN, BBC, FOX news intermittently announced it on their various platforms. This was in the first week of February. I had a lot of good plans for the year. I was then in Chicago presenting proposals of my project to support Low-income Single mothers. On February 25I had an offer to moderate this year’s gathering of the Commission on the status of Women at the UN headquarters so I had to move from Chicago to my family-friend in New York to prepare for the program. At the Chicago airport on February 26, while waiting for my flight at the United Airlines departure lounge I noticed the frequent pace in which News on CORONA VIRUS was reported on FOX TV but like everyone, I didn’t anticipate it was going to be a pandemic until the program scheduled to moderate to commemorate International Women' day was cancelled. I started contacting Emirates airlines to make sure my flight back to Ghana on March 20 was still on schedule. Just around that time, news on social distancing took centre stage as reports on COVID 19 cases skyrocketed.

I would periodically monitor the news to see if there is any progress made to mitigate the spread, PERIODICALLY because it was my own strategy of fighting fear. Watching news on COVID 19 and its associated deaths knocked me off for days In the second week in March, media platforms in Ghana started reporting on the disease while some placed demands on government to close borders. My flight was cancelled as a result.

Luckily my senior brother and his wife have offered me a room in their house to stay until the ban on international flights is lifted. I am currently stuck in US, I just came for a program, network and visit family members that Ihaven't seen in years, but COVID 19 has given me a different schedule I have no option than to follow.

I haven't stepped outside in weeks. Most shops in New Jersey where i am seeking refuge are closed. The streets are mostly quiet with little or no human activities going on. I can actually hear the cry of birds in the afternoon. I have a table full of gloves, sanitizers, wipes and hydrogen peroxide solution in my room. I am now restricted to buying groceries and other items I am in need of online which sometimes takes a couple of weeks before I receive them. Adjusting my life to this new normal way of living has been very challenging. However, the good part is that I have time to develop my plans and most importantly stay connected with the Lord Jesus.

I am hoping that Science finds a solution to this problem as soon as possible but there are times when thoughts like WHAT IF WE NEVER GO BACK TO OUR WAY OF LIVING runs through my mindbut hey I am still here Living!

Like the saying goes “There is always light at the end of the tunnel.” .WE WILL DIFFINETLY COME OUT OF THIS, STRONG, UNITED AND CHARGED FOR THE DECADE. We should therefore STAY SAFE!

Noble Nketia, Gospel Musician Covid-19 pandemic horrible.

As the corona virus epidemic continues to spread across the globe, celebrities have been encouraging their millions of followers on social media to stay home and self-isolate if necessary.

It comes as no surprise as Ghanaian gospel musician, Noble Nketia, in an interview with the Ghanaian News Newspaper in Canada, pleaded with his numerous fans across the world to follow the preventative measures announced by the World Health Organization (WHO) and also revealed the extent the entertainment industry is bracing for a financial hit from the corona virus, with concerts and other productions delayed or canceled as the corona virus continues to spread across the globe.

In an interview with Edmund Agbeko for the Ghanaian News Newspaper, he said: “First and foremost, it’s important we give thanks to the good Lord for our lives. I want to use this opportunity to urge everyone to stay safe during these difficult times. As we’ve already begun to see, the corona virus spares no one as it doesn’t care about our tribe or social status in society. We ought to be each other’s keeper during these challenging times but I know God will make us see His wonders.”

Touching on how he and his fellow Ghanaian celebrities were coping during these moments as everything is at a standstill, he remarked: “It has been tough not being able to do what you live doing best but like I reiterated earlier, we are not in normal times. We have shows cancelled, promotional events on hold and a lot that we do to engage with the society.”

He continued: “ As you are aware in Ghana, most of our revenues as musicians comes directly from the shows/concerts that we perform in but now that the gravity of the growing corona virus pandemic has settled in and people are looking to safeguard their health and their livelihoods, the entertainment industry is grappling with essential question as in how we are going to survive without these shows/concerts. The scope of the damage caused by the COVID-19 menace is still hard to measure but I pray it ends soon.”

24

The Ghanaian News April 2020

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The Ghanaian News April 2020 25

Ontario government extends all emergency orders until May 19 The Ontario government says it is extending all emergency orders put in place to slow the spread of COVID-19 until at least May 19.

The emergency orders were last extended on April 14 and were supposed to be effect until May 12. The province has now extended all orders by another week.

The province also announced Wednesday that it would be extending hydro rate relief for families, farms, and small businesses.

Time-of-use electricity rates will be billed at the off-peak price until May 31.

“During this extraordinary period, many people are struggling to pay the bills as they do the right thing by staying at home, as well as our farmers and those whose businesses have closed or suffered reduced customer traffic,” Premier Doug Ford said in a written statement.

“Although we are making progress in our fight against this COVID-19 outbreak, we are not out of the woods yet. The extension of this electricity rate relief will leave more money in people’s pockets until businesses can start to reopen and people can get back to work.”

Dr. M. Agyemang, B.Sc. (Hons.), D.C.

Chiropractic & Rehabilitation NOW INTRODUCES: SPINAL DECOMPRESSION THERAPY

The province confirmed the extension in a news release issued on Wednesday morning.

A state of emergency was first declared in Ontario on March 17 and a number of emergency orders were subsequently put in place, including the closure of non-essential businesses and a ban on gatherings larger than five people.

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The province has released a framework for reopening Ontario in three separate stages and on Monday, some seasonal businesses were allowed to partially reopen, including garden centres, marinas, and golf courses.

Garden centres are currently only permitted to provide customers with curbside pickup and delivery and marinas and golf courses can prepare for the upcoming season but are not open to the public.

The province’s chief medical officer of health has indicated that Ontario will need to see a consistent decline in the number of new COVID-19 cases and a decline in hospitalizations before we can begin to restart the economy.

Over the past week, the number of new cases in the province has been trending downward, with 387 new cases reported on Monday and 370 on Sunday. Those number are down from the record 640 new cases Ontario saw on April 25.

Despite the dip in new cases, the number of deaths in the province continues to climb. Ontario surpassed 1,300 virus-related deaths earlier this week and the vast majority of deaths involve residents of long-term care.

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The Ghanaian News April 2020

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The Ghanaian News April 2020 27

M A K O L A Tropical Foods THE SUPERMARKET IN THE HEART OF ACCRA-GHANA IS NOW HERE IN THE HEART OF TORONTO QUALITY FOODS

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The Ghanaian News April 2020

Ontario sees spike in fire fatalities Ford slams some local medical officers since start of 2020, fire marshal warns not to microwave masks of health for not conducting enough COVID-19 tests Ontario’s Fire Marshal is warning pandemic when so many families

‘You got to pick up the pace’:

people not to microwave personal protective equipment (PPE) as the province reports a spike in fire-related fatalities since the start of 2020.

Premier Doug Ford says he is “calling out” some of the province’s local medical officers of health for not testing enough people for COVID-19.

Ontario conducted just 10,654 tests on Monday, approximately 7,000 fewer tests than the number processed on Saturday.

“There is certain medical officers in certain jurisdictions... some just aren’t performing,” Ford said at Queen’s Park on Tuesday afternoon.

“You have half of them really exceeding expectations and then you have some others that aren’t even putting the work in as far as I can see. So we need to hold these people accountable.”

“Heating a face mask in a microwave, in an effort to decontaminate it, is a potential fire risk and should never be done,” Ontario Fire Marshal Jon Pegg said in a news release issued Tuesday.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford answers questions at a COVID-19 briefing at Queen's Park in Toronto on Saturday, May 2, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Rick Madonik - POOL

The total number of deaths in the province now sits at 1,361.

All but 66 of virus-related deaths in the province are in patients 60 or older and more than 900 of the deaths are in patients 80 and over.

Pegg’s comments come in response to suggestions that microwaves can be used to sterilize masks for re-use.

The Office of the Fire Marshal and Emergency Management says that microwaves are not designed to heat cloth materials, which could overheat and catch fire. Additionally, the office noted that many disposable masks are equipped with a metal nose wire or staples that can cause fires if heated in a microwave.

Long-term care homes have been hit hardest during the pandemic, with residents in those facilities accounting for more than three-quarters of all virus-related deaths.

“Ontarians need to be especially vigilant about fire prevention as fire and smoke can travel so quickly that firefighters may not be able to rescue someone in time.”

“I’m disappointed in the chief medical officers in certain regions.

I’m not going to name them. They know who they are,” he added.

The province says there are currently 218 outbreaks at long-term care homes, an increase of six from yesterday’s report.

Between Jan. 1 and May 4, Pegg said there have been 51 fire fatalities in Ontario, which represents a 65 per cent increase over the same time last year.

“Start picking up your socks and start doing testing. I don’t know what the big problems is with testing. It is frustrating as anything.”

To date, Ontario has seen 18,310 lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 but the province says that 12,779 of those cases are now considered to be resolved.

Pegg said 17 Ontarians died in fires in this past March alone.

Ford said his team will be speaking to the officials in the regions that are underperforming “over the next day or two.”

Ford suggested that in the future, Ontario may look to adopt a more “centralized” system rather than having 34 individual medical officers of health for each region.

“After this is over, we need to review it and start looking at the Alberta model. It’s a lot easier to have one person in control than 34 people in control,” he said.

Ford’s comments come less than a week after the premier said Ontario was leading all other Canadian provinces in testing, both per capita and in number of tests.

387 new cases reported in Ontario The province reported 387 new lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Monday, up from the 370 cases confirmed on Sunday.

The number of new cases is significantly lower than the recordhigh 640 new cases that were reported on April 25 and the 511 confirmed on Friday.

The number of virus-related deaths continues to climb with 61 deaths reported on Monday, down from the 84 reported on Sunday.

The number of patients hospitalized with the virus jumped up again on Monday.

The province says 1,043 patients infected with the respiratory illness are now receiving treatment in hospital however, the number of people in intensive and on ventilators has declined.

According to the data released Tuesday, there are 223 patients in intensive care and 166 on ventilators.

Other highlights: • Health care workers represent nearly 16 per cent of all cases (2,892) • GTA public health units account for 60.4 per cent of all confirmed cases • A little more than 12 per cent of all cases have resulted in hospitalizations • Females make up a larger number of lab-confirmed confirmed cases (57.5 per cent) than males (41.7 per cent) • Community transmission accounts for 36.1 per cent of all cases Cp24

“The Fire Marshal is reminding everyone that fire safety is especially important during the COVID-19

are staying at home and doing more cooking.”

Speaking to CTV News Toronto, the Office of the Fire Marshal could not definitively say that there have been more fires following the onset of COVID-19, but said that information would become available as more and more municipal fire departments report their data back.

The office says that they are not currently aware of any incidents of residents microwaving masks in Ontario, but say they have heard of claims and recommendations that masks can be sterilized in this way.

“That, coupled with the fact that this has emerged as an issue in other jurisdictions (U.S. & U.K.) prompted this warning.”

“We are trying to avoid any incidents here based on misinformation or unsafe advice.”

What’s the best way to sterilize your mask? Ontario’s Associate Chief Medical Officer of Health says that a thorough cleaning should do the trick.

“If we’re talking cloth masks, every time after you use it, you should wash it, launder it, in hot water,” Dr. Barbara Yaffe said Tuesday.

“Regular laundry. Definitely don’t put it in the microwave. That’s a fire hazard.” CTV News Toronto

The Ghanaian News April 2020 29

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30

The Ghanaian News April 2020

Coronavirus - Africa: Pregnant mothers and babies born during COVID-19 pandemic threatened by strained health systems and disruptions in services An estimated 116 million babies will be born under the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic NEW YORK, United States of America, May 7, 2020/ -- With 116 million expected births in the approximately 9 months since the COVID pandemic was recognized, UNICEF calls on governments and donors to maintain lifesaving services for pregnant women and newborns.

An estimated 116 million babies will be born under the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic, UNICEF said today ahead of Mother’s Day. These babies are projected to be born up to 40 weeks after COVID-19 – currently straining health systems and medical supply chains all over the world – was recognized as a pandemic on March 11.

New mothers and newborns will be greeted by harsh realities, UNICEF said, including global containment measures such as lockdowns and curfews; health centres overwhelmed with response efforts; supply and equipment shortages; and a lack of sufficient skilled birth attendants as health workers, including midwives, are redeployed to treat COVID-19 patients.

“Millions of mothers all over the world embarked on a journey of parenthood in the world as it was. They now must prepare to bring a life into the world as it has become – a world where expecting mothers are afraid to go to health centres for fear of getting infected, or missing out on emergency care due to strained health services and lockdowns,” said Henrietta Fore, UNICEF Executive Director. “It is hard to imagine how much the coronavirus pandemic has recast motherhood.”

Ahead of Mother’s Day, recognized in May in over 128 countries, UNICEF is warning that COVID-19 containment measures can disrupt life-saving health services such as childbirth care, putting millions of pregnant mothers and their babies at great risk.

Countries with the expected highest numbers of births in the 9 months since the pandemic declaration are: India (20.1 million), China (13.5 million), Nigeria (6.4 million), Pakistan (5 million) and Indonesia (4 million).

Most of these countries had high neonatal mortality rates even before the pandemic and may see these levels increase with COVID-19 conditions.

Even wealthier countries are affected by this crisis. In the US, the sixth highest country in terms of expected number of births, over 3.3 million babies are projected to be born between March 11 and December 16.

In New York, authorities are looking into alternative birthing centers as many pregnant women are worried about giving birth in hospitals.

UNICEF warns that although evidence suggests that pregnant mothers are not more affected by COVID-19 than others, countries

need to ensure they still have access to antenatal, delivery and postnatal services. Likewise, sick newborns need emergency services as they are at high risk of death. New families require support to start breastfeeding, and to get medicines, vaccines and nutrition to keep their babies healthy.

On behalf of mothers worldwide, UNICEF is issuing an urgent appeal to governments and health care providers to save lives in the coming months by: Helping pregnant women to receive antenatal checkups, skilled delivery care, postnatal care services, and care related to COVID-19 as needed; Ensuring health workers are provided with the necessary personal protective equipment and get priority testing and vaccination once a COVID-19 vaccine becomes available so that can deliver high quality care to all pregnant women and newborn babies during the pandemic; Guaranteeing that all infection prevention and control measures are in place in health facilities during childbirth and immediately after; Allowing health care workers to reach pregnant women and new mothers through home visits, encouraging women living in remote areas to use maternal waiting homes, and by using mobile health strategies for teleconsultations; Training, protecting and equipping health workers with clean birth kits to attend home births where health facilities are closed; Allocating resources to lifesaving services and supplies for maternal and child health.

While it is not the virus is a mother to pregnancy and recommends that

yet known whether transmitted from her baby during delivery, UNICEF all pregnant women:

Follow precautions to protect themselves from exposure to the virus, closely monitor themselves for symptoms of COVID-19 and seek advice from the nearest designated facility if they have concerns or experience symptoms; Take the same precautions to avoid COVID -19 infection as other people: practice physical distancing, avoid physical gatherings and use online health services; Seek medical care early in if they live in affected or at-risk areas and have fever, cough or

difficulty breathing; Continue breastfeeding their baby even if they are infected or suspect being infected as the virus has not been found in samples of breastmilk.

Mothers with COVID-19 should wear a mask when feeding their baby; wash hands before and after touching the baby; and routinely clean and disinfect surfaces; Continue to hold the newborn and perform skin-to-skin care; Ask their midwife or doctor where they feel is the safest place to give birth and have a birth plan in place to reduce anxiety and to ensure they get to the place on time; Continue medical support, including routine immunizations, after the baby is born.

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, an estimated 2.8 million pregnant women and newborns died every year, or 1 every 11 seconds, mostly of preventable causes. UNICEF calls for immediate investment in health workers with the right training, who are equipped with the right medicines to ensure every mother and newborn is cared for by a safe pair of hands to prevent and treat complications during pregnancy, delivery and birth.

“This is a particularly poignant Mother’s Day, as many families have been forced apart during the coronavirus pandemic,” Fore said.

“But it is also a time for unity, a time to bring everyone together in solidarity.

We can help save lives by making sure that every pregnant mother receives the support she needs to give birth safely in the months to come.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of UNICEF Sierra Leone.

Why Is Ghana Not Among Those With Best COVID-19 Responses? cont’d from pg. 16

with 53.8 per cent of the votes, while the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) got 44.4 per cent.

At the regional level, the NPP obtained 76.3 per cent and 52.4 per cent of the votes in the Ashanti Region and Greater Accra Region respectively, while the NDC got 23 per cent and 46.7 per cent in the two regions respectively.

The largest percentage of voters are in the private and informal sectors of Ghana; not in the formal sector where many government employees wished for the extension of the lockdown.

Crucially, if the December election takes place amid the coronavirus pandemic, employees in the informal and private sectors who constitute over 90 per cent of total employment in the country are more likely to defy fears of contracting the COVID-19 disease to join long queues to vote.

when Ghana gained independence from British colonial rule in 1957, the country’s real GDP per capita of $2,353 (in 2001 US$, multiple benchmarks) was higher than that of China ($1,103), South Korea ($1482), Singapore ($1963) and the Chinese province of Taiwan ($1943).

How were these countries able to overtake Ghana in economic development? The answer lies in the choices made by their political elites in the creation of political rules of governance.

Ghana is more likely to join the list of countries with the best responses to human development crisis if political elites move the country away from the notorious winner-takes-all democracy to the proportional representative democracy found in the countries with the best policy responses to the coronavirus pandemic.

Not case

If the 275 parliamentary seats, 19 cabinet seats and over 100 ministerial positions were shared in the proportion of the percentage of valid electoral votes obtained by political parties after general elections, it is likely that Ghana would have been counted among the countries with the best COVID-19 policy responses.

It is not simply the case that countries with the best policy responses to the COVID-19 pandemic have women leaders.

The writer, Dr Daniel Appiah, is a public sector governance specialist & a lecturer at the University of Ghana Business School.

The US-based Madison Project Database (version 2018) shows that

Source: Daily Graphic

In the face of the December 2020 election, the NPP government would be committing political suicide if the informal and private sectors continued to be locked down, without the payment of financial compensations.

The Ghanaian News April 2020 31

COMMUNITY INFORMATION Justice Romain Pitt: trailblazer It was the British Imperial Act of 1833 which ended the chattel slavery of Africans fuelled by witnessing many successful resistance efforts. It went into effect in Canada in 1834 and freed what Africans were still enslaved here. It also was the cause for immense celebrations in many locations including spots in southern Ontario. These celebrations continued from 1834 until the early 1900s when they began to disappear partly because Black communities were dwindling.

With the growing number of arrivals from the U.S., the Caribbean (sometimes by way of Britain) and Africa, these celebrations were rekindled or expanded. B.J.Spencer Pitt was committed to the Black Nationalism espoused by Marcus Garvey and in addition to his law practice he headed the Toronto Chapter of the UNIA. When growing up I would hear about B.J. Spencer Pitt. He had a strong and visceral presence and made frequent visits to speak at the British Methodist Episcopal Church in Toronto. B.J.Spencer Pitt was a lawyer, was a community organizer and was the person responsible for the creation and organization of the highly successful Bi-National celebrations of August 1st as Emancipation Day in Port Dalhousie near St. Catharines Ontario that continued until his death.

As a former president of the Ontario Black History Society, my efforts to

formalize the celebration of February as Black History Month at all levels of government and to have August 1st as Emancipation Day similarly commemorated were inspired by the efforts of people like B.J. Spencer Pitt and his relative, Justice Romain Pitt both trailblazers.

I was saddened to learn of the recent passing of Justice Romain Pitt. During his long and distinguished service to the people of Ontario, he too made significant history by being the first Black lawyer to be appointed to the Superior Court from his also historic first Black law partnership with Eric Lindsay (later with Victor Burke). Pitt’s connection to so many touchstones in the cultural heritage of Toronto include work with the establishment of Caribana, the Sickle Cell of Ontario Association and the BBPA. My effort to have August 1st as Emancipation Day has most currently been introduced to the House by MP Majid Jowhari and pending the return to ‘normal’ after the pandemic has become less of a focus, it may well be passed into law.

I appreciate the efforts of the ancestors, the seeking of their personal freedoms while enslaved, the advocacy for our community and their spirit of advocating for us and for things important to us. We build on the foundations they have created.

The City of Brampton has issued the following Service and Information Update: City continues to give residents and businesses ability to defer taxes and waives all penalties until August 19.

An online version is available here.

re-apply to the City.

City continues to give residents and businesses ability to defer taxes and waives all penalties until August 19

For those whose taxes are paid as part of their mortgage, they must contact their mortgage provider and determine whether they can cancel the tax payment. The mortgage provider must advise the City to remove the resident/business from their listing.

The City of Brampton continues to allow residents and businesses to defer taxes for the five-month period of March 18 to August 19 with no interest and late payment fee. This is for the Interim Tax Bill that was mailed in January.

The deferral program was introduced on March 21 in response to COVID-19.

Anyone that hasn’t already contacted the City for cancelling the preauthorized tax payment and wishes to do so for the May and June instalments must fill out the online form on the City website to submit their request. In order to resume the pre-authorized tax payment at a later date, the payment holder will need to

Tax deferral does not mean tax cancellation. All deferred amounts must be received by the City before August 19, to avoid penalties and interest from accruing on any overdue balance at that time.

Taxpayers have the option of making smaller payments or a lump sum amount to clear any overdue taxes before the August 19 deadline.

In early July, the City will issue a Final Tax Bill with payment due dates of September 23, October 21 and November 18.

Tribute to Justice Romain Pitt, a pioneer in the Canadian legal world, dies at 84 TRIBUTES have been paid to a founding director of Caribana, Pitt was appointed to Superior Court of Justice Retired Ontario Superior Court Judge Romain William Michael Pitt, died in Toronto on April 29 last. He was 84. Pitt who was born in Grenville, Grenada, was a founding director of the Caribbean Cultural Committee which for several decades organized Caribana, the Toronto Caribbean Carnival.

After finishing his secondary school education in Grenada, Pitt entered the University of Toronto in 1955 where he earned his Honours BA in economics in 1959.

He then attended law school at the University of Toronto and was called to the bar in Ontario in 1965. Pitt articled and worked as a lawyer at the Bay Street law firm Blaney, Pasternak from 1965-67 and left to form with Eric Lindsay, the first partnership of Black lawyers in Canada, Lindsay and Pitt. In 1994 Pitt was appointed to The Ontario Superior Court of Justice, a post he held until 2010. in Toronto at 84 n excellent judge and he will be missed.” Joe Halstead, chairman of the Festival Management Committee (FMC) which has been organizing the Toronto Caribbean carnival for more than ten years, paid tribute to the late judge for the role that he played as a “ founding father” of Caribana. “He was one of the six

The Late Justice Romain Pitt or seven people who our community and the city,” said Halstead. Retired Trindad-born educator Lennox Borel recalled that he was an undergraduate student at the University of Toronto when he first met Pitt who was then in law school.

“Among the West Indian students, Romain was our role model, an inspiration to all of us, a veritable icon,” said Borel. “ And we cherished his friendship, his sage advice, his jovial personality, his exemplary

leadership, his indomitable spirit and his generosity.” Lennox Farrell, a former chairman of the Caribbean Cultural Committee and a friend of Pitt, described him as “ honourable, thoughtful and decent.” Romain William Michael Pitt Photo: Kingsley Gilliam Pitt served on the boards of the Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto General Hospital and the Church Council of Justice and Corrections and helped with the creation of the Black Business and Professional Association

as well as the Sickle Cell Association of Ontario.

He also mentored high school students interested in pursuing careers in law.

Friends of the retired judge described him as a lifelong student of the law and economics and an advocate for racial justice. St. Lucia-born Justice Gregory Regis, a former regional senior judge, described Pitt as “kind, thougntful and helpful.” Regis recalled that when he was going to law school, Pitt was one of the Black lawyers “ who would call from time to time to see how I was doing and encouraged me to stay strong.”“And of course when he became a judge , the Black community along with myself was very proud.

“He turned out to be a put leadership and his name on line.He stands as a legacy to the best in Farrell said he was “someone able to walk with royalty; yet someone retaining an uncommon touch. “ A legal expert, he was also equally wellengaged in communal affairs,” He was the husband of Amabelle, father of Jennifer, Kevin and Tracy, grandfather of Alexandra and Michael and the brother of Martha (deceased), David (deceased), Morris (deceased), Cassimir (deceased), Roland (deceased), Betrand and Adrian.

Due to the current COVID-19 restrictions, the funeral service for the late Romain Pitt will remain private.

A “celebration of his life” will be held on a date to be fixed.

TheCaribbeanCamera

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The Ghanaian News April 2020

Sarah Efumwaa Obeng

How Are You Spending Your Time –Quarantine Times?

Thank God for time!

Time is one of the best gifts He gave us! If you write out a gratitude list every day, be grateful for time daily! If you are reading this, it means you treasure your time and I applaud you.

and so we may not know where to start from.

Whatever the case, examine your perspective and choose and decide where you want to end.

When we find ourselves struggling through times of uncertainty (like most of us are right now), I think the world is we have one choice not changing but has to make: will we be a completely changed few victim to circumstance weeks ago. We have or an intentional being been sitting at home in for growth? quarantine for how many days now? I’ve even lost “Change is inevitable. count of how many days Growth is optional.” because the days have all John Maxwell. John is my mentor. started to blend.

You must choose to intentionally focus on your personal growth.

Now more than ever that our world is still changing by the minute, In the coming weeks but change does not more discipline is mean we have to accept required to stay focused a fate we do not desire. and productive. There’s several, if not a lot of Couple of weeks ago, I ‘distractions’ right now was having a session with It’s in times like these that focusing on our personal growth becomes more important than ever.

Call Us First The Ghanaian News 416-916-3700

a group of ladies talking about some great laws of personal growth and we particularly talked about the law of intentionality.

In this piece I will share some thoughts with you about this subject.

Growth does notjust happen. When babies are growing, they grow automatically – they eat, sleep, and grow.

When we get into adulthood, growth cease to be automatic; we mustdeliberately grow and advance our lives.

Thus, it is imperative to make a commitment to intentionally grow.I bet if you don’t do this, you either would not grow or your growth will be so slow you will not see the point of it.

If we are going to grow, we must grow on purpose, and make the

commitment public.

A shared commitment becomes a strong commitment.The person you share your commitment with would be able to hold you accountable. Know why you want to grow; your why will be your traction and pull you forward.

Identify the areas that you want to grow in – which specific areas are you going to grow in. at least two and at most five – at least one choice and one skill. Example of an area of choice is discipline, and an area of skill could be writing or speaking.

Getting specific in areas of growth is especially important because it helps you stay focused and not be all over the place to eventually lose sight of what you are doing and where you’re going.

Invest one hour a day in those areas that you want to grow in; you could be learning something new, practice or experimenting your new learning.Investing onehour a day in the growth journey helps maintain the momentum and advance the growth pattern.

I believe by this point in time, you know whether you want to pursue your personal growth or not. Preparation, practice, reflection – this is what you need to get going and to see results. Firstly, prepare your personal growth plan and get started.

Secondly, practice what you have prepared; in other words, live out what you have planned out at the preparation stage – immediately start doing what you must do to grow and advance

your life. Thirdly, reflect from time to time on your progress to help you adjust and adapt. Do it every day, or at least every week.

My friend, this season or phase we all find ourselves in will pass eventually. When the doors are open, will you be ready to face the new world? In few years from now, we may almost not remember this season we are experiencing now.

We will be in our reality of that time – whatever that might be. How prepared are you for that?

Where will you be in the next three years? Start thinking about some of these questions now, and even ask yourself some more questions that will ignite your mind and help transform your life.

You are endowed with all that you need for your amazing life. Be blessed.

The Ghanaian News April 2020 33

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The Ghanaian News April 2020

President Akufo-Addo’s emotional message to muslims on Ramadan President Akufo-Addo has sent an emotional message to the muslims in the country who are observing the Ramadan.

President Akufo-Addo According to him, just as the Christian Celebration of Easter was severely affected by the virus, resulting in the cancellation of the usual activities associated with Easter, the Holy Month of Ramadan has not been spared either.

President Akufo-Addo said this in his 8th coronavirus updates to the country on Sunday, April 26, 2020.

He said, “In Bukhari’s collection of the Hadith, Book 13, Hadith No. 24, Ibn Sirin reports that Ibn Abbas said to his muezzin, and I

President Nana Akufo-Addo quote, “after saying ‘I testify that Muhammad is Allah’s messenger’, do not say, ‘come for the prayer’, but say, ‘pray

in your houses’…It was done by one much better than I…” (that is the Prophet) Through analogical deduction, Muslim

scholars agree that ‘rain’ represented danger, and, therefore, the prescription for Muslims to stay at home and pray in times of heavy rain is applicable to all lifethreatening situations.”

ADVERTISING Adding that “I, thus, call on all Muslims to heed this prophetic admonishment to pray at home, so we can protect ourselves from the danger of COVID-19. This is in line with the counsel of the wise, devout Muslim scholar, the Chief Imam, Sheikh Dr. Osman Nuhu Sharubutu. I wish all Muslims Ramadan Mubarak. In this period, let me state, once again, that the virus is the enemy, and not one another. We must be resolute

in our unity to defeat this invisible enemy. “ “No country on earth has been spared the ravages of this virus, and my singleminded goal is how to steer the country out of this crisis, protect our 7 population from the virus, and see to the rebuilding of our economy. Nothing else matters for me. Fellow Ghanaians, we must now begin to lift our heads above the parapet, and look at our future with courage and hope. I shall be outlining, shortly, the path for bringing the restrictive measures, systematically, to an end, and defining the basket of measures for the revival and growth of our national economy. We have to own our future,” he concluded.

Ghanadweb

Celebrating Mother’s Day around the world On Sunday, many countries will be celebrating Mother’s Day. We’ve taken a brief look at some of the interesting ways in which families celebrate this important day in some countries and how they could celebrate differently this year.

Flowers might seem like standard gifts for Mother’s Day, however for many migrant communities, sending money back to their home country is as much of a cultural reconnection for them. Daniel Sampson, a physician, based in Chicago, shared how he is celebratinghis mum this Mother’s Day in Ethiopia is quite year: an event! In most countries, it is a one-day affair, but in Ethiopia, “It’s obviously a really tough it is celebrated over three days. time for everyone, so Mother’s The festivities start on the second Day will be much quieter.

Sunday of May, where mothers are I was in Ghana last year to showered with gifts. Mother’s Day celebrate with my mum, but that in Ethiopia marks the festival of obviously can’t happen this year, Antrosht which signals the end of so I’ll be making a transfer through the rainy season. Families celebrate WorldRemit* so that she can treat by singing, dancing, and eating herself. traditional meals together.

She has recently discovered the This is often a time for mothers to joys of online shopping. As most relax and enjoy the festivities, while of us are trying to keep in touch their children get the ingredients with people back home through for the meals. A popular ritual WhatsApp and Facetime, the during this time is for mothers and networks are often jammed, but daughters to rub each other’s faces mum still receives notifications with butter as a symbol of fertility. once the money has been sent. She prefers bank transfers and airtime Mother’s Day in Ghana, Kenya, and top-up now. Even though the Uganda is celebrated with a number coronavirus has meant other plans of activities always involving cards, are on hold, I’m grateful that I’m gifts, and flowers. Taking your mum in a position to keep supporting my to a fine restaurant for lunch or mum and loved ones. dinner is a must. Some schools even invite mothers to special assemblies I usually plan my trips back home during the week. In Ghana, most around early May as that’s also community groups organize special when her birthday falls so, I hope programs to celebrate mothers, I can celebrate with her next year. which often include donations to You could say I’m a mummy’s widows and mothers who are on boy!” low incomes.

During these uncertain times, it’s But how mums will be celebrated more important than ever to stay in times of COVID-19 as many connected to our loved ones. Don’t countries go through movement restrictions or lockdowns?

allow distance or the pandemic to stop you from supporting the special women in your lives. Be creative and select from manyonline possibilities to treasure them.

transaction difficulties about by COVID-19.

brought

WorldRemit app lets people send money straight from their smartphone, instead of having *WorldRemit, a leading UK fintech totravel to a money transfer providing international money agent. Those receiving moneycan transfer services, has waived the collectthe funds as mobile money, remittance fees (code 3FREE) for bank transfer, for cash pickup or as new clients to help ease money a mobile airtime top-up. source: WorldRemit

The Ghanaian News April 2020 35

VIRTUAL EDUCATION AT YOUR DOORSTEP

By Staff Reporter, Montreal, Que

Amidst the unexpected chaos emerging from the spread of the novel corona virus disease, COVID 19, several socio-economic activities are forced to shut down, with respect to the measures taken to stem the spread of and finding measures to combat the virus and disease respectively. March 22, 2020, the Premier, Francois Legault in accordance with the ministry of Education in Quebec, Jean-François Roberge, made the painful decision to extend the

closure of Quebec schools until May 1, 2020. The closure which is affecting all daycare centers, elementary, high schools, colleges and universities, is part of the broader plan to slap down the curve

of the spread of the virus as stated by the province s public health director, Dr. Horacio Arruda. Though schools are closed, students were encouraged to be on the learning curve.

VIPs at High Table.

Ga Queen mother and elders

Nananom

Cutting of cake with Mfantseman Association of Montreal

Mfantseman chiefs and elder

Dr. & Mrs. Laryea and Dr. Naana Grace

Cutting of cake with Montreal Traditional Council

Tripple P Dancers

Montreal Traditional Council

cont’d on pg. 41

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The Ghanaian News April 2020

Communit

ty in pictures

The Ghanaian News April 2020 37

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The Ghanaian News April 2020

PEOPLE AND PLACES James Eduful honored as Enercare Top EA Technician of 2019

By Jonathan Baah Annobil, Toronto

At the Enercare Exceptional Achievement Award (EEAA) 2019 held at the plush Fairmont Royal York 100 Front Street, Toronto, James Eduful a.ka.

Shata Wale received the Top EA Technician 2019 award. He was among the EEAA Trip Winners to Nassau Bahamas which was scheduled from March 29-April 3rd 2020. James’ award was due to his exceptional contribution to his company.

David Erb Snr. Director Sales Strategy congratulating James Eduful

James Eduful

James Eduful (5thleft) with other recipients

From left David Erb, James Eduful and another official.

James Eduful 2nd right and some other recipients

James Eduful( center) being congratulated James Eduful and other co-workers James Eduful and other co-workers

The Ghanaian News April 2020 39

Mfantseman Cultural Association of Toronto celebrates 20th milestone

By Jonathan Annobil & Joe Kingsley Eyiah, Toronto

EST Banquet hall in Etobicoke was the venue of the 20th anniversary and Christmas party of the Mfantseman Cultural Association of Toronto on Saturday December 28, 2019.

The opening prayer was offered by Rev. Dr. Chris Asman of Narrow Gate Ministry. It was followed by the rendition of Ghanaian and Canadian national anthems by Ms. Cecilia Aikins.

All the members were cladded in their colourful anniversary cloth imprinted with the logo of the association.

In her welcome address, the President of the association Mrs. Harriet Aikins Mensah congratulated both the old and new members on coming together to celebrate such a milestone. She disclosed that the membership of the association has grown tremendously and now stands at 115 members The President remarked proudly that their commitment to the community resulted in some public recognitions for the association, notable among them were awards from the Ghanaian-Canadian Association of Ontario (GCAO) and City of Toronto (Councilor Prerruzza).

She pointed out that the association has supported many good causes back home in Ghana and over here in Canada. Also, she declared the association’s full support to the Heritage and Resource Center to give hope to the youth seniors.

She lastly thanked sponsors and other associations for making the anniversary

Group Ficture after Thanksgiving Service

cont’d on pg. 66

Youth of Mfantseman Some male members dancing

Some female members jubilating Executive members at thanksgiving service

Having fun at the party

Ubuntu Cultural Group

Having fun at the party

MC Kwesi Eduful (l), Cecilia Aikins-Mensah, Bella Stephen

Association Executives

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The Ghanaian News April 2020

Ethiopian Airlines Canada repatriation flight commercial flight from Cameroon to Canada.

Ethiopian Airlines Canada repatriation flight arrived last night and it could be the world’s first non-stop commercial flight from Cameroon to Canada.

“World’s first or not, we’re proud to play a role in the repatriation of Canadians during these challenging times. Welcome home!”

Samson Arega Ethiopian Airlines Canada Country Manager.

Ethiopian Airlines (Ethiopian) is the largest and fastest-growing airline in Africa. For more than 70 years of operation, Ethiopian is the continent’s leading carrier, unrivalled in efficiency and operational success. Ethiopian operates the youngest and most modern fleet to more than 125 international passenger and cargo destinations across five

continents. The Ethiopian fleet includes ultra-modern and environmentally friendly aircraft, such as Airbus A350, Boeing 787 Dreamliner, Boeing 777-300ER, Boeing 777200LR, Boeing 777-200 Freighter, and Bombardier Q-400 double cabin. The average age of the aircraft is five years. Ethiopian is the first airline in Africa to own and operate these aircraft. Ethiopian Airlines flies direct from Toronto to Addis Ababa five times weekly. This route will now be serviced with our Airbus 350. Ethiopian Airlines is the largest airline in Africa, with one of the youngest fleets in the world. Ethiopian Airlines, a Star Alliance member, is currently the only African operator of the Airbus.

Ethiopian Airlines Canada

Ethiopian Airlines repatriates over 1000 Canadians Ethiopian Airlines has repatriated over 1000 Canadian residents and diplomats from various countries including, Nigeria, Sudan, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, Senegal, Democratic Republic of Congo, Keyna, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Cameroon, Ghana, Tanzania, Turkey and Mozambique.

In addition, over 200 Canadian nationals have been evacuated out of Nigeria via the Murtala Muhammed International Airport.

“We are extremely proud of all the work we are doing with Global Affairs Canada to bring all the Canadians home,” said Samson Arega Ethiopian Airlines Canada Country Manager.

We were greeted with positive feedback from all the passengers. All arrived safely and were happy to be home.”

Arega added that additional flights this weekend are being planned to bring home more Canadians.

“I want to share my profound appreciation for the help Mr. Samson Arega, the Country Manager of Canada has provided in the middle of a crisis. I am the husband of a teacher who chaperoned a group

of 8 students to Zimbabwe.

When the COVID crisis hit, their tickets out were cancelled and the airlines we had booked with provided no real support. We had no relation with Ethiopian airlines at this point. Mr. Arega helped secure a flight out of Zimbabwe at a time when this looked impossible. He provided a caring human touch and did not rest until flights were secured all the way back to Toronto, offering assurances all the way.

His assistant Tingert also patiently reassured me and kept me updated. Zimbabwe announced a total lockdown hours after the flight left,” said Jaap ter Haar passenger on Ethiopian Flight to Canada.

About Ethiopian Airlines Ethiopian Airlines (Ethiopian) is the largest and fastest-growing airline in Africa. For more than 70 years of operation, Ethiopian is the continent’s leading carrier, unrivalled in

efficiency and operational success.

Ethiopian operates the youngest and most modern fleet to more than 127 international passenger and cargo destinations across five continents. The Ethiopian fleet includes ultra-modern and environmentally friendly aircraft, such as Airbus A350, Boeing 787 Dreamliner, Boeing 777300ER, Boeing 777-200LR, Boeing 777-200 Freighter, and Bombardier Q-400 double cabin. The average age of the aircraft is five

years. Ethiopian is the first airline in Africa to own and operate these aircraft.

Ethiopian Airlines flies direct from Toronto to Addis Ababa five times weekly. This route will now be serviced with our Airbus 350. Ethiopian Airlines is the largest airline in Africa, with one of the youngest fleets in the world. Ethiopian Airlines, a Star Alliance member, is currently the only African operator of the Airbus. Ethiopian Airlines Canada

The Ghanaian News April 2020 41

Frankly Speaking ELECTIONS 2020 IN GHANA: TO BE OR NOT TO BE?

By Prof. Michael Baffoe, Winnipeg, Manitoba The corona virus pandemic is not the only major headache raging in Ghana on the socio-politcal landscape.

For keen observers of the Ghanaian political landscape, the fate of the Presidential and Parliamentary elections slated for December 7, 2020 are currently shrouded in uncertainties. Although they have not publicly commented, the politicians on both sides of the major political divide in the country, the ruling NPP and the Opposition NDC are squatting on thorns. They are scared to death but they do not wish to be seen,or heard, publicly to be expressing their fears.

The reasons for these uncertainties around the slated elections have been generated by the “almighty” corona virus pandemic, which has thrown so many things, planned and unplanned, out of gear. On the civic front, the National Identification Authority (NIA) was engaged in a national registration exercise to register and issue national IDs to all qualified persons who have attained the

were on-going. As a result of the same concerns, the Electoral Commission has also been compelled to postpone its scheduled voters’ registration exercise that was set to begin on April 18, 2020..

age of majority. These national identification cards were then going to be used to register as voters in a new biometric voters’ registration exercise that was going to undertaken by the Electoral Commission of Ghana.

The Electoral Commission had made all the necessary arrangements and was set to launch the registration exercise for the new Voters’ Register from the18th day of April, 2020. The raging corona virus pandemic and the resultant fears and concerns of the potential spread of the virus amongst people in congregated places, forced the National Identification Authority to abort the registration exercise for the National ID cards that

The Electoral Commission had before the outbreak of this pandemic, insisted that the exiting Voters’ Register was not credible and only the compilation of a new one around which they want to build necessary safeguards, will ensure a free and credible elections in December 2020.

There is no clear idea now as to when and how the raging corona virus pandemic will slow down or “disappear”.

The suspension of the national ID exercise, and a further uncertainty as to whether the Voters’ Registration will ever materialize, has then created an uncertainty around the holding of the Presidential and Parliamentary elections for the first week of December 2020 have heightened.

Callshave been made by some well-meaning Ghanaians to have the elections delayed

Virtual Education at your doorstep cont’d from pg. 35

It is in light of this that, Social Media Team (SMT), which is a department within the Montreal Ghana Canada House Inc. came to a consensus to work on an initiative to reach out to the secondary school students who have been hit by this unexpected turn of events to help supplement the areas they need to cover even whiles schools are on lock down. We initially targeted the secondary 4 students in the more dreaded Mathematics and Science subjects. However, we realized the need to extend to other secondary levels and make it accessible to all and sundry.

We currently have a team of Quebec certified teachers who are experienced and wellversed in their respective areas of teaching with an impeccable approach to teaching; both in the normal classroom and virtually as well.

On March 30th, 2020, we launched this online learning initiative and had a successful class in the morning of the said date. Having received a lot of positive feedbacks, our passion

to expand this initiative was fueled. We strongly believe that the doors to the classrooms might be locked but there are always ways to find the dinning key to feeding the brain. Our services are opened and accessible to all, we take strong exception to the discrimination of individuals based on nationality, gender, race, culture, religion and other social factors constantly dividing the human populace.

In this hard time, the battle is not against us but the pandemic at hand. To win this battle, we need the power to do so and we all attest to the fact that education is power. Therefore, our arms are opened to all high school students who are already yearning for quality virtual education and teachers who would want to contribute their quota to the success of this project.

“To an active mind, indolence is more painful than labour” Edward Gibbon. It will be a pleasure to have you learn and or teach with us.

All interested students and or teachers can contact Matilda Ansah at 514-222-5437 or Maxwell Bonsu at 514-9416294. We look forward to working with you Aside the virtual studies, the SMT continuously bring updates on COVID19 to the community through posts on Facebook, Instagram, Snap, etc. At least three times a week, the SMT host live sessions on Facebook with front liners such as, doctors, nurses, biochemist, pastors, teachers, travel agent and even a financial advisor, through Facebook Live. Audio/video recordings are constantly being made in different language; Twi, Ga, English, French, Ewe and Hausa to share on WhatsApp and other social media platforms as we attempt to give our community the information in the language that they are most comfortable with.

The Montreal GhanaCanada House executives are committed to serve it community.

or postponed to another date. As mentioned earlier, the politicians on the two political divides have been eerily silent. It seems to me that they are afraid to take any side for fear of been attacked by their opponents for taking sides on the issue. Of the two major political parties, it is the NDC that is caught and trapped in a tight corner. They have been vociferous in their condemnation of the Electoral Commissioner’s efforts to compile a new voters’ register.

They have even threatened bloodshed and mayhem if the Electoral Commission goes ahead with the exercise.

These very irresponsible utterances are spearheaded by their Presidential candidate, and a former President of the Republic for that matter, John DramaniMahama. He threatened recently, and publicly, that if any violence and disturbances break out in the country as a result of the Electoral Commission’s Voters’ Registration exercise, then the Chairperson of the Commission and her outfit should take the blame and responsibility.

Now that the exercise has been shrouded in uncertainty, the NDC cannot figure out what public stance to take.

Do they have to rejoice that the registration may not come on? What are the implications and fate of the elections if the voters’ registration exercise does not come on?

The simple fact of the matter is that the NDC sees the writing on the wall that their chances of victory in the December 2020 elections are slim. They are secretly delighted of the raging corona virus and the resultant uncertainties that have erupted around the elections, but they dare not show their delight at the prospect of a delay in the

elections lest their opponents will accuse them of being afraid of the possibility of their potential defeat.

The NPP is not faring any better either. They are yet to conduct primaries in Constituencies where they currently have sitting MPs…in the majority, about 169 out of the 275 seats in Parliament. They are also caught up in a very unpleasant situation of whether to hold the primaries or not. Recently, their General, Secretary, John Boadu, publicly speculated that the National Executive Committee of the Party may impose candidates in those Constituencies if they are not able to hold the primaries because of safety concerns around the corona virus.

This move has not gone down well with potential Parliamentary aspirantsi n those Constituencies. Sensing the danger from the rumblings, the Party Executive seems to be backing off from that stance.

On the other hand, the NPP secretly, and not-sosecretly, believes that their best chances of victory in the elections are apparent and any postponement of the elections will give the struggling and confused NDC the chance and breathing room to recuperate from their present slumber and confused state.

Whichever way the two political camps go or think, I can predict that the only way out of the present mess and uncertainty is for the Electoral Commission to go to Parliament with a request, may be a Constitutional Instrument, to request for a postponement of the elections to sometime next year when the safety situation improves.

I will bet my last two dollars on this.

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The mysterious disappearance of the first SARS virus, and why we need a vaccine for the current one but didn’t for the other Some people question why the current coronavirus has brought the world to standstill while a previous deadly coronavirus, SARS, did not.

Others have questioned why a vaccine is so urgently needed now to stop the spread of the current coronavirus when a vaccine was never developed for SARS. I study viruses and am so fascinated by their complexity that I have written a book about them. The tale of SARS and its new cousin that causes COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, shows just how unpredictable viruses can be, particularly when they jump from animals to humans. Understanding emerging, infectious diseases needs to be a priority.

SARS, which killed about one in 10 infected people, turned out to be highly lethal but ultimately, and somewhat mysteriously, disappeared.

SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome, was first noted in Guangdong province, China in November of 2002, when doctors there saw an unusual pneumonia.

But the disease was not reported to the World Health Organization at that time.

In February of 2003, another outbreak occurred in Hanoi, Vietnam, and a WHO officer, who later died, examined a patient there and reported a large outbreak to the WHO main office on March 10, 2003.

Meanwhile, a doctor from Guangdong province traveled to Hong Kong and stayed at the Metropol Hotel, along with a number of other international travelers. The doctor was infected with what we now know as SARS-CoV-1. The virus was transmitted to at least a dozen other hotel guests. Two returned to Canada and took the virus there. One returned to Ireland, one to the United States. Three went to Singapore, and one to Vietnam. In addition, a few people were hospitalized in Hong Kong, leading to an outbreak in the hospital there.

From that point, SARS spread to much of the world, although most cases remained in Asia. The virus was aggressive and lethal. Patients typically showed symptoms within two to three days. There were few reports of any infections without symptoms, as there are with COVID-19. The masks came out,

temperature scanners were placed in all major public gathering places in China and other parts of Asia, quarantines were implemented, the virus infection peaked in late May of 2003 and then it disappeared.

The strict quarantine measures paid off, and by July 2003, the WHO declared the threat over.

SARS-CoV-2 spreads faster, sometimes with hidden symptoms, allowing each infected person to infect several others. The current estimate is about three, but we scientists won’t know the real number until we can test a lot more people, and can understand the role of people without symptoms.

In all there were just over 8,000 cases of SARSCoV-1, and about 700 deaths. In the U.S. there were a total of just 29 confirmed cases, and no deaths.

The Hong Kong economy, with a large tourism component, was severely impacted by SARS in 2003, much as the U.S. tourism industry is currently one of the most heavily impacted parts of the economy due to SARS-CoV-2.

The most important difference is that contact tracing – or finding out who was exposed to someone infected with the virus – was relatively easy: Everyone had severe symptoms in two to three days.

Killing cousins?

SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2 are closely related viruses. Scientists believe that both viruses originated in bats. The RNA genomes of the viruses are about 80% identical. What does that mean?

Our own genomes are over 98% identical to those of chimpanzees, so 80% seems a lot less similar. For a virus though, especially one with an RNA genome, this is actually very closely related.

That’s because viruses can mutate very rapidly. They make a lot of mistakes when they copy their genomes, and they make thousands of copies in a few hours.

The two viruses have very similar proteins on their exterior and use the same proteins, or receptors, on our cell surfaces to enter the cell. These receptors are found in a lot of different cell types.

Most studies of SARS-CoV-1 focused on the lungs, because that is where the most severe disease occurred, but both viruses can infect a lot of different organs. We won’t know how often other organs are infected with SARS-CoV-2 until there is time to do proper autopsies and fully understand the way the virus causes disease.

How are they different, and how is that impacting the course of the pandemic? SARS-CoV-1 was more aggressive and lethal than SARS-CoV-2. However,

With SARS-CoV-2, it takes about two weeks for symptoms to appear, and many people don’t have any symptoms at all. Imagine asking someone whom they had contact with for the last two weeks! You can accurately remember most people you had contact with for the past two days, but two weeks? This critical tool for pandemic control is very challenging to implement. This means that the only safe thing to do is to maintain quarantine of everyone until the pandemic is under control.

What about a SARS vaccine? Vaccine studies for SARS-CoV-1 were started and tested in animal models. An inactivated whole virus was used in ferrets, nonhuman primates and mice. All of the vaccines resulted in protective immunity, but there were complications; the vaccines resulted in an immune disease in animals. No human studies were done, nor were the vaccine studies taken further because the virus disappeared. Many factors were involved in the end of SARS-CoV-1, perhaps including summer weather, and certainly strict quarantine of all those who had contact with infected individuals, but we don’t really know why the epidemic ended. Viruses are like that, unpredictable!

Many of the vaccines being developed for SARSCoV-2 are quite different, and many use only small portions of the virus, or the virus RNA. This may circumvent the problems with SARS-CoV-1 vaccines that used more of the virus. Vaccine development has a large experimental component; we just have to make educated guesses and try different things and see what works. Hence, many different avenues for vaccines are being tested by different labs around the world. The Conversation

Infected with the coronavirus but not showing symptoms?

A physician answers 5 questions about asymptomatic COVID-19 Blood tests that check for exposure to the coronavirus are starting to come online, and preliminary findings suggest that many people have been infected without knowing it.

Even people who do eventually experience the common symptoms of COVID-19 don’t start coughing and spiking fevers the moment they’re infected.

William Petri is a professor of medicine and microbiology at the University of Virginia who specializes in infectious diseases.

Here, he runs through what’s known and what isn’t about asymptomatic cases of COVID-19.

symptoms is common.

Perhaps the most infamous example was Typhoid Mary, who spread typhoid fever to other people without having any symptoms herself in the early 1900s.

a side effect of fighting off an infection. It takes a little time for the immune system to rally that defense, so some cases are more aptly considered presymptomatic rather than asymptomatic.

My colleagues and I have found that many infections are fought off by the body without the person even knowing it.

For example, when we carefully followed children for infection by the parasite Cryptosporidia, one of the major causes of diarrhea, almost half of those with infections showed no symptoms at all.

How can someone spread coronavirus if they aren’t coughing and sneezing?

How common is it for people to contract and fight off viruses without knowing it?

In the case of the flu, estimates are that anywhere from 5% to 25% of infections occur with no symptoms.

In general, having an infection without any

For the most part, symptoms are actually

Everyone is on guard against the droplets that spray out from a coronavirus patient’s cough or sneeze. They’re a big reason public health officials have suggested everyone should wear masks.

But the virus also spreads through normal exhalations that can carry tiny droplets containing the virus.

A regular breath may spread the virus several feet or more.

Spread could also come

from fomites – surfaces, such as a doorknob or a grocery cart handle, that are contaminated with the coronavirus by an infected person’s touch.

What’s known about how contagious an asymptomatic person might be?

No matter what, if you’ve

been exposed to someone with COVID-19, you should self-quarantine for the entire 14-day incubation period. Even if you feel fine, you’re still at risk of spreading the coronavirus to others.

Most recently it has been shown that high levels of the virus are present in respiratory

secretions during the “presymptomatic” period that can last days to more than a week prior to the fever and cough characteristic of COVID-19. This ability of the virus to be transmitted by people without symptoms is a major reason for the pandemic. cont’d on pg. 65

The Ghanaian News April 2020 45

Lifestyle

This column is devoted to answering your questions on health and discusions of diseases which are common among the African Canadians.

Exercise may help reduce risk of deadly COVID-19 complication:Â ARDS Scientists are constantly revealing newly discovered benefits of exercise. In experiments over the past 10 years, my research has found that exercise can help with a respiratory problem known as ARDS. ARDS is a type of respiratory failure characterized by rapid onset of widespread inflammation in the lungs that prevents oxygen from reaching the organs. It has been reported in many COVID-19 patients.

I am an exercise physiologist with training in medicine.

More than 30 years ago, I gave up my career in general surgery in China and came to the U.S. to pursue a basic research career in molecular exercise physiology, as

I was intrigued by the superb health benefits of regular exercise.

Most recently I’ve been thinking about the potential impact of regular exercise in preventing this deadly complication of COVID-19. I have not done any experiments specifically around COVID-19, but my work with mice may inform other researchers exploring ways to protect people that suffer from ARDS. What is ARDS? A cause of death for 3%17% of patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 is ARDS. COVID-19 patients with this dismal clinical complication have a mortality rate of greater than 50%.

Specifically,

ARDS

can occur when viral infection of the cells in the lungs activates the immune system and attracts white blood cells to travel through the bloodstream to the lung tissue to fight off the viral infection.

However, when too many white blood cells appear in the lung tissue at once, it can cause lung tissue damage. This is because they produce too much of damaging molecules called free radicals which break proteins, the cell membrane and DNA. As a consequence, the blood vessels in the lung become leaky, causing accumulation of the fluid in the lung tissue, and the air sacs of the lung fill up with fluid. This prevents those same air sacs, called alveoli, from

filling with air, blocking oxygen in the air from getting into the blood.

Patients die of oxygen deprivation.

The cells that line our blood vessels are flatshaped endothelial cells. One early step in this complicated ARDS disease process is the lining of the blood vessel becomes sticky to white blood cells by making sticky proteins on the cell surface, a phenomenon called endothelial cell activation.

This triggers a vicious cycle; the greater endothelial cell activation, the more free radicals the white blood cells release. This in turn destroys the endothelial cells, making the blood vessel leak more and damages lung tissue.

An exercise-induced antioxidant in our body More than 10 years ago, I started to study the protective role of exercise-induced antioxidant enzymes against loss of muscle size. My research has shown that endurance exercise promotes production of an antioxidant called extracellular superoxide dismutase (EcSOD) that breaks down the free radical superoxide outside of the cells.

EcSOD is the only antioxidant enzyme that is secreted into the blood that reaches other vital organs and binds to the endothelial cells and other cells through a unique binding structure of the enzyme.

This makes EcSOD unlike any supplemental antioxidant pill or food rich in antioxidants that we may consume.

An oral antioxidant, once absorbed into the blood, does not target a given organ to provide protection, while EcSOD sticks to specific organs.

When I first saw the

evidence of increased EcSOD in skeletal muscle by aerobic exercise training, I was inspired to do an experiment in which I tested whether just increasing the amount of this enzyme through genetic engineering, instead of naturally through exercise, would provide protection from various diseases in which free radicals are known to play important roles, such as muscle atrophy and heart failure.

from a mouse with high EcSOD and transfused it into a normal mouse suffering from ARDS, the normal mouse had reduced severity of ARDS and clinical blood markers of multiple organ failure. Using various biochemical and imaging technologies, we saw the evidence of reduced endothelial cell activation and reduced protein, cell membrane and DNA damage caused by free radicals in the lung tissue.

EcSOD in protection against ARDS

Learn from exercise

I engineered a mouse that produced more EcSOD in skeletal muscle than would the typical mouse to mimic the effects of aerobic exercise training. We obtained clear evidence that these mice were protected from muscle atrophy and diabetes-induced heart failure.

I then artificially triggered ARDS in mice by injecting mice with a chemical produced by bacteria that are known to cause this condition.

To my pleasant surprise, genetically engineered mice with higher concentrations of EcSOD in their blood were far more likely to survive the severe ARDS and multiple organ failure compared with a dismal mortality in the typical mice. This mimics the situation in intensive care where more than 80% of the patients die when they suffer from the failure of multiple organs, including ARDS. I then confirmed that indeed it was the EcSOD in the genetically engineered mice that provided the protection.

When I performed an experiment in which a genetically engineered mouse shared blood with a normal mouse following a surgical procedure called parabiosis, or I took blood

These studies have provided proof-ofprinciple evidence that delivery of the EcSOD gene or protein to elevate the amount of EcSOD in the blood and vital organs may be an effective intervention for protection of the lungs and other vital organs against damages caused

by ARDS and multiple organ failure.

My findings in mice may inspire other researchers to come up with innovative ways to prevent and treat the deadly complication of COVID-19.

For example, future studies may identify the exercise type, intensity and duration to optimally increase EcSOD levels in the lungs and other vital organs in humans to build up the defense against deadly complications of COVID-19 or other disease conditions. Of course, the findings may inspire research to foster pharmacological, protein and or gene therapies to treat COVID-19 patients with ARDS. The EcSOD antioxidant story is just one of many about the health benefits of exercise. I believe we can learn from exercise to develop effective therapies to treat ARDS caused by COVID-19 and other disease conditions. The Conversation

46

The Ghanaian News April 2020

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Province temporarily lowers price of alcohol sold by licensed Ontario restaurants and bars The province has now lowered the minimum price for alcohol sold by licensed restaurants and bars to help the struggling hospitality industry amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Shortly after businesses across the province were ordered to close in March, the Ontario government announced

that licensed bars and restaurants offering delivery and takeout would be allowed to sell alcohol with food orders.

On Tuesday night, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) said that the province has now temporarily lowered the price for spirits from $2.00 per 29 ml to $1.34.

“By making spirits more affordable the government is providing further support to restaurants, bars and other establishments that cannot serve patrons inhouse during the current state of emergency,” a news release issued by the AGCO read.

The new price will be in effect until Jan. 1, 2021.

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“The AGCO continues to work closely with the Government of Ontario during the state of emergency to support Ontarians and the sectors we regulate,” AGCO CEO Jean Major said in a written statement.

“The reduced minimum prices for bottles of spirits sold by licensed establishments, and the rule change for cidery retail are additional ways to support the hospitality sector as it deals with the effects of COVID-19.”

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The Ghanaian News April 2020 47

Cita Beauty Home beauty products, foods, clothing

Dead batteries, rusty brakes and flat tires: How to maintain your car during the pandemic THORNHILL, ON, April 28, 2020 /CNW/ - As Canadians continue to stay home during this pandemic, many cars are sitting idle for long stretches of time. Maintaining your car is important whether it’s parked for a long time or in regular use.

“Dead batteries, rusty brakes and flat tires can be worrisome leaving a car parked for weeks on end,” says Kaitlynn Furse, director, corporate communications, CAA South Central Ontario (CAA SCO). Car owners should put measures in place to avoid unexpected mechanical issues, much like a snowbird would, if cars are sitting idle in the driveway for long periods of time.”

CAA SCO car maintenance checklist: • Gas up. If your vehicle is going to be idle for more than 30 days, fill the

tank up to the brim. This will help prevent moisture from building up in the fuel tank. Add a fuel stabilizer to the tank when full (stabilizers have a shelf life of three months and may help keep the fuel lines and engine from corroding).

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• Protect the battery. It will eventually lose its charge if it isn’t driven at

least once every few weeks. A trickle charger or battery tender with an automatic shut-off feature will keep the battery in good condition when the vehicle isn’t being driven.

• Inflate the tires. You can get flat spots on your tires from the vehicle

sitting in one position. If your car is going to be parked and not moving add extra 10 PSI to the tire pressure when it is sitting idle.

When you are ready to drive it remove that extra 10 PSI.

• Clean it well. Protect your paint job by removing acidic bird droppings,

corrosive salt or dirt off the paint and take it a step further, polish or wax the exterior.

Another item to consider is to check your tires to minimize the likelihood of wheel separation. A wheel separation is the unintended release of any active wheel from a moving vehicle. These incidents occur most commonly during the months of May through August after motorists switch from winter to all season tires.

“Wheel separation can be very dangerous, causing, property damage, injuries and even fatalities,” says Furse. “If you are changing your tires at home, please make sure you go the extra step to make sure they are installed properly.”

If you are unsure about any part of the installation of a wheel on your vehicle, be sure to take the vehicle to a qualified shop for its seasonal tire change. CAA has compiled a list of Approved Auto Repair Service facilities that have been vetted for quality service standards. Please check with your local facility as business hours for AARS locations may vary during the pandemic.

About CAA South Central Ontario As a leader and advocate for road safety and mobility, CAA South Central Ontario is a not-for-profit auto club which represents the interests of 2 million members. For over a century, CAA has collaborated with communities, police services and government to help keep drivers and their families safe while travelling on our roads.

SOURCE CAA South Central Ontario

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The Ghanaian News April 2020

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50

The Ghanaian News April 2020

LOOKING BACK The Year of Return 2019 - Afrofest in pictures

By Staff Reporter, Accra

The Ghanaian News April 2020 51

LOOKING BACK The Year of Return 2019 - Cape Coast Durbar

By Jonathan Baah Annobil, Cape Coast Ghana

52

The Ghanaian News April 2020

LOOKING BACK The Year of Return 2019 Wreath Laying in pictures Accra, Ghana

By Jonathan Baah Annobil, Cape Coast Ghana

The Ghanaian News April 2020 53

Young Entrepreneur Program Support for Students and Recent Graduates Impacted by COVID-19 The perfect vehicle for the Canadian Black Chamber of Commerce Mastermind program to introduce the aspect of young entrepreneurial aspirations into the black community.

Preparing them to be contributors to the black dispora success.

The Government of Canada recognizes that students and recent graduates are being significantly affected by the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. In March 2020, the number of post-secondary working students, aged 15-29, dropped by 28% from February 2020. As many postsecondary students adapt to the new reality brought on by COVID-19, they are concerned about the effect of the pandemic on their ability to continue their studies, secure and retain summer employment, pay their bills, and save for tuition in the fall.

Additionally, students who are about to graduate might struggle to find employment in their field of study, which may in turn, have a negative impact on the value of their education over the long term. The government has announced a series of measures as part of its COVID-19 Emergency Response Plan that will help Canadian students and recent graduates overcome these challenges and support their future success. These represent an investment of approximately $9 billion.

Canada’s Student Population * In 2017-18, there were an estimated 2.1 million students enrolled in public Canadian post-secondary institutions with 1.3 million registered in universities and 700,000 in colleges – 1.6 million studied full-time and 500,000 studied part-time. * Each year around 350,000 students graduate high school. * Each year around 25 percent of 19-year-olds go on to college and around 36 percent of 21-year-olds attend university.

Supporting Students through Expanded Student and Youth Programming. The government is creating and connecting students to meaningful employment and service opportunities, with: * The launch of the “I Want to Help” Platform. The new platform will provide helpful information about available service opportunities and ways to get involved and support the efforts of young Canadians to pursue service positions. * $153.7 million for the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy to help youth develop the skills and gain the experience they need to

successfully transition into the labour market. Funding will support a range of measures in high-demand sectors such as agriculture, technology, health and essential services, creating over 6,000 additional job placements. * Changes to the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy’s Canada Summer Jobs program, including increased wage subsidies, expanded eligibility and new flexibilities for employers, to ensure it can continue to support up to 70,000 student job placements in 202021. These new measures are being supported by a reallocation of existing resources. * $80 million for the Student Work Placement Program to support up to 20,000 post-secondary students across Canada to obtain paid work experience related to their field of study. * $15 million for the Supports for Student Learning Program to serve an additional 14,700 youth through support to complete high school and transition to post-secondary education in order to help ensure that vulnerable children and youth do not become further marginalized as a result of COVID-19. * Additional support for the Canada Service Corps to expand support for meaningful youth service projects that have positive impacts in communities across Canada, including increasing the number of microgrants from 1,800 to 15,000, and providing stipends to participants. * $40 million to Innovation, Science and Economic Development to support Mitacs in order to create 5,000 new job placements. The Business/Higher Education Roundtable (BHER) will also create a further 5,000 to 10,000 new student placements, by reorienting existing federal support and building online tools. * $75.2 million to provide additional distinctions-based support to First Nations, Inuit and Métis Nation postsecondary students. * $291.6 million to support up to 40,000 student researchers and post-doctoral fellows through the federal granting councils. Funding would support a one-semester extension for eligible students whose research scholarships or fellowships end between March and August 2020 and who intend to continue their studies. It would also provide a 3-month extension in funding for holders of federal research grants to support eligible trainees and staff paid out of these awards. These extensions cannot be combined with other income supports. * $7.5 million to support student and

post-doctoral research placements within the National Research Council. *Information provided by the Canadian Government Canada’s International Students “left out” of the support package The House of Commons in Canada has fast-tracked and passed a series of student-focused Covid-19 support measures that will allow eligible postsecondary students to claim $1,250 a month from May to August to mitigate the impact of losing summer jobs.

However, international students will not be able to avail of the funding.

While earlier support measures such as the CERB were open to international students, the Canada Emergency Student Benefit will only be available to Canadian citizens, including Canadian students returning from studying abroad.

“Opening the CESB to international students will send a strong message” The government has also said it will create 76,000 jobs in front-line sectors, will extend scholarships, grants and fellowships, and is launching a grant that will offer students money towards their tuition fees if they volunteer in a sector needing assistance.

“Although this benefit is welcome news, by limiting the benefit to only Canadians and permanent residents, it fails to recognize the contributions that international students make to Canada and its post-secondary education system,” said Cape Breton University president David Dingwall, who is calling for the government to offer more support to international students.

“Like Canadian students, international students are facing hardship due to Covid-19. Many rely on employment during the summer months to help support their education and gain experience to reach their career goals, an option that is now in jeopardy.

“Opening the CESB to international students will send a strong message,

ensuring Canada remains a top educational destination for international learners,” Dingwall added.

The measures come after the Undergraduates of Canadian Research-Intensive Universities – a national coalition of student unions representing some 250,000 students – called for the Canadian government to extend the support measures available after a survey they conducted revealed students were “falling through the cracks” and ineligible for many programs.

Financial support was made available to both domestic and international students earlier in April if they had been laid-off due to the pandemic and had earned $5,000 in the 12 months before.

However, a survey of over 3,000 students at 64 different post-secondary institutions across Canada found that almost three out of four were worried about meeting financial obligations such as rent, groceries and other bills, and 79% were concerned about paying for tuition come autumn.

“It is no surprise that international students are being left out, as always,” said Wesam AbdElhamid Mohamed, an international student representative for the Canadian Federation of Students.

“Everyone in Canada is experiencing challenges and uncertainties related to Covid-19, and international students are no exception.

“Many of us have lost jobs, we have limited access to supports, and we are away from our families. International students contribute billions of dollars to Canada’s economy and should be included in these emergency relief measures.”

International students contribute billions of $ to Canada’s economy every year and pay taxes, just like everyone else. They deserve to be treated the same as other students. Call your MP tonight to let them know intl students must be included in the #CESB

54

The Ghanaian News April 2020

Bill Gates says if you want to be successful for a long time you have to be humble, his 10 advice to young people who want to be rich

By Frank Addo

He became a billionaire In 1987 at the age of 31 and the richest man in the world at the age of 39.

6. Success Is a lousy teacher it can seduce you into thinking you can’t lose; if you want to be successful for a long time you have to be humble. So many people have been successful for few minutes because they got to a point where they started thinking that they know it all. People who was successful for a long time never stop learning because they know that they can lose if they don’t keep on learning.

Bill Gates has since then remain one of the richest people in the world. Kind of him, he has given various advice to young people over the years on how they can become rich and successful in life.

In this article, we want to share with you 10 of the most inspiring advice Bill Gates has given and we hope some of his advice change your life.

1. Don’t compare yourself with anyone in this world if you do so you are insulting yourself; Abraham Lincoln once wrote to the teacher of his child to make a request it was a simple one teaching that nobody in the world is bigger than him and he’s bigger than no one. unfortunately, most young people in our world today, live their lives comparing themselves to every other person and end up trying to be everyone that’s the part to unhappiness and failure in life.

7. I spend a lot of time reading; even as one of the richest man in the world for over three decades Bill Gates still remains of voracious reader because he understand that life changes every day and the only way to remain relevant is to keep on learning.

Listen you are a unique being who is not designed to be good in everything but in something unique. Your Life’s mission isn’t to beat all the people in the game, your Life’s mission is to know your own game. Be yourself, know that nobody is better than you and you are better than no one. You are simply a unique being who is capable of achieving something, no one else can achieve.

In this day of social media, and interesting movies, how many young people take time to read good books anymore yet the books you read determine the future you will have just as Charlie Jones said you will be successful become. the same person in five years as you are today, except 4. You need a coach; it doesn’t matter whether you’re for the people you meet and the books you read. a basketball player or tennis player, a gymnast or a 8. We start Life with many big dreams, Things we bridge player. want to accomplish, create, build and experience but In life, you will become the person you admire, if if you ask any one pass the age of 40 what happened you don’t have my anyone significant you will to all the dreams they had they will most likely become nobody significant. You need a coach answer life.READ ALSO: Dagbon Youth for Dev’t someone to inspire and challenge you, so once you demand dismissal of Northern CID Boss Over Sex believe in yourself your coach doesn’t always have tape issues

2. To win big you sometimes have to take big risk; The best time of your life to be alive is when you are young because you have nothing to lose really nothing. Don’t take life easy, don’t live like everyone, don’t just talk about your dreams, wake up and pursue it, don’t make excuses, start with whatever you have wherever you are, get out and get lost.

to be someone you have physical access to, you can According to a study, out of 60 people who are decide to read books written by people who have planning to start their own business right now, achieved what you want to achieve, you can follow only one of them will ever start anything. Not only such people online and watched inspiring videos. business people generally hate the Pains of taking Why is this important simple because, life is tough action so much that even when they try to take action, and most people around you don’t know anything the first failure or second, send them back to their about success. If your father isn’t successful, he can comfort zone.

3. Your exposure from a young age to the realities of the world is a super big things; Most people don’t know what life really is until they are 40. Most people live with the illusion that life is all should be easy.

Most people expect the government or their parents to solve their problems.

The earlier you understand the realities of life the most successful will become. What then is the reality, well the reality is that life is tough and nobody will help you to solve your problems. We are sorry your parents or government cannot help you. The earlier you take 100% responsibility of your life the more

teach you how to be successful, if your siblings are Most people are dreamers because dream is sweet. mediocre, they can’t inspire you to be successful.

You can’t be healthy for long if you only eat sweet That’s why you need to look outside your domain for things. Dreams are sweet and everyone eats it. someone who can inspire and challenge you.

Action is bitter and that’s why only few people take 5. If you show people the problems and you show proactive, determined and persistent actions. Be people the Solutions they will be moved to act; To be Among The Few who get up from their dreams. Get successful in life you must be able to lead people and out and get crazy. to get them motivated towards a common goal. To motivate people into actions, you have to show them what the problem is and what can be done to create a solution. As a leader don’t just give instructions, Let people know the reason why what has to be done needs to be done.

9. Our success has really been based on partnerships from the very beginning; The first Big success of Microsoft happened in the year 1980 when Bill Gates partnered with that the I.P.M. and ever since then Bill Gates has always been on the lookout to whom he can partner with, his passion for partnership was so strong that Microsoft even went to the extent of partnering with one of their biggest competitors Apple computer. What can you learn from this, two are better than one, you grow and succeed faster in life if you learn how to work with other people.

10. Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning explains itself you’re unhappy clients and customers if you speak facts about what needs to be corrected in your products or services in summary if you want to be rich and successful in life don’t compare yourself with anyone I never allow your dreams to die be strong and take risk and harmful read books and learn how to work and partner with other people.

Source:Omanghnews.com

The Ghanaian News April 2020 55

Beni Boo Styles WELL MADE - WELL PRICED Covid-19 Facemasks The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advise the use of simple cloth face coverings to slow the spread of the virus and to help people who are unaware they have the virus from spreading it to others. This has led to questions but one thing we can all agree to is prevention is better than cure so if this help just a little bit why not and while we at it let’s make it fashionable.

A fashion accessory we can enjoy wearing , incorporate it in our wardrobe and stay fashionably safe .

These Unisex Beni Boo facemasks available @ BENIBOO.COM are fashionable 2-ply masks with elastic that goes around your ears or your head . They are reusable reversible anf breathable made out of 100% cotton material with fuse like filter fabric and an opening for you to be able to insert your own filter.

Stay home , Stay safe and if you must go out then wear masks and try to abide by all the doctors recommendations .

Shop or Order these styles @ Beniboo.com or in stores @ 2581 Eglinton Ave. W Tel: 416-732-0902 http://www.beniboo.com

56

The Ghanaian News April 2020

FOOD AND RECIPES Compiled by Nana Ama

How to prepare wrewre/melon seed soup

Tuo Zaafi with Ayoyo stew 10 qts Ayoyo leaves 2 qts Salt Peter (Potassium nitrate)

INGREDIENTS 1. 3 cups wrewre

1 cup Powdered Fish

2. An assortment of dried and smoked meat

1 cup Powdered Okro

3. 3 large tomatoes

2 pinches Dawadawa

4. 2 large onions

2 qts Pepper

5. 3 tsp hot pepper (grind)

2 qts Onions

6. 1 tsp ginger

1 qt Fish seasoning 2 qts All purpose spices

7. 2 tsp garlic

4 qts Meat (Beef)

8. 2 maggi cubes

1 cup Palm oil

9. 3 tsp of pepper flakes

3 qts Tomatoes

Method

2 qts Salmon

1. Dry roast your seed on medium heat in a pan for about 6-8 min. It will

2 qts Herrings

start to make a popping sound when it is cooked. Or to be sure, you can break one, it should be lightly brown on the inside.

1 cup Cassava flour

2. Pour into your blender or food processor. Add 1 and 3/4 cups of water

1 cup Corn flour

and blend into a smooth paste.

3. Pour into a strainer and strain to separate juice from chafe.

Method

4. After add water to the chafe and blend again.

1

Chop the ayoyo leaves into smaller sizes. Boil water, add chopped onion, powdered fish, powdered okro and dawadawa. After 5 minutes add ayoyo leaves and salt peter

2

Don't cover, stir continuously until ingredients become very soft. Add salt and seasoning.

Allow to simmer for 3 minutes and soup is ready. Cut meat into desirable sizes. Wash and put meat in big saucepan over moderate heat.

3

Blend onion, ginger, garlic and add to meat. Add salt and seasoning and cover meat to steam for 5-10 minutes Heat pan over medium high heat until hot and then add the olive oil. then add the chicken

4

Fry on one side until browned and then flip. Brown the second side and then transfer the meat to a bowl. Add chopped onion and garlic and saute until tender and starting to brown.

11. wash and peel your tomatoes and onions. Add to the soup and allow to

5

Add grinded pepper, tomato puree and stir intermintently. Wash salmon and herrings. Then add to stew. After 6-10 minutes, add spices and allow to cook.

12. Remove the tomatoes and onions and blend into a smooth paste.

6

Taste for salt and add some chopped onions. Finally add fried meat and allow to simmer for 3 minutes.Fetch some corn flour and add cold water. Then mix thoroughly to form a solution.

7

Boil enough water and add corn flour to cook for 5-10 minutes. Fetch some of the solution into a separate bowl. Mix dry corn dough and cassava dough and Add mixture bit by bit to the boiling corn dough and stir thoroughly to prevent any lumps.

16. Cook for another 3 min and turn off heat.

8

Add the corn dough solution you fetched aside to the Tuo Zaafi to make it soft and stir.

After 15-20 minutes of stirring the Tuo Zaafi, you turn of the heat.

17. Soup is ready to be enjoyed with your rice balls, banku, fufu, kenkey,

Serve Tuo Zaafi with stew and soup.

5. Repeat the straining process until no chafe remains in the strainer.

6. Pour the juice into a pot and allow to cook on moderate heat.

7. Allow to boil for 15 min.

8. Wash and put the meat into a saucepan.

9. Add your seasoning cube, ginger, garlic,a little salt and water to the

meat and allow cook for about 5 min. Stir intermediately.

10. Pour in the cooked juice.

boil for 10 min.

13. Pour it back into the soup.

14. Allow to simmer on moderate heat for about 15 min.

15. Add salt to taste. You can also add more pepper to your preference

rice or yam.

APPLE PIE EGYPTIAN FETA CHEESE OMELET ROLL

Ingredients

Ingredients

1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie

4 eggs beaten

1/1 cup unsalted butter

1/2 teaspoon black pepper 3 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese

3 tablespoon all-purpose flour 1/4 cup water 1/2 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon milk

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

8 Granny Smith apples - peeled,

Add all ingredients to list

cored and sliced Add all ingredients to list

Method Method

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in flour to form a paste. Add water, white sugar and brown sugar, and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature and let simmer.

1. In a small bowl, beat eggs and pepper together. In another small bowl, combine crumbled cheese with milk.

Place the bottom crust in your pan. Fill with apples, mounded slightly.

Cover with a lattice work crust. Gently pour the sugar and butter liquid over the crust. Pour slowly so that it does not run off.

2. Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Pour in eggs, and tilt pan until bottom is evenly covered. When edges appear cooked, place feta mixture in a line in the center of eggs. Using a spatula, fold eggs over top and bottom of cheese, then fold sides over.

Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes, until apples are soft.

The Ghanaian News April 2020 57

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58

The Ghanaian News April 2020

Micangel Global Inc. Shipping and Freight Forwarding

SEA * AIR * LAND Fast Easy And Reliable Service To All African Countries and Other Worldwide Ports CUSTOM CLEARANCE, PICK-UP, DELIVERY Call Angelina Tel: 416-457-1174 1889 Albion Road, Unit 7, Etobicoke, Ont.

Call Us First The Ghanaian News 416-916-3700

The Ghanaian News April 2020 59

CARGO - LINK INTERNATIONAL (Freight Forwarders & Consolidators) Competent Commitment & Excellence

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For your Reliable Export Services - Shipping Services to Ghana, Nigeria, Clearing & Delivery Services in Ghana

We Carry Brand Name 220/50Hz Export Model

BIG GENERATOR SALE Household Products Kitchen Appliances Generator Unlocked GSM Cellphones Nokia, Motorola, Samsung, Siemens

* You don't need to go to the Port * You don't need to see any Agent * Just see a CARGO-LINK Representative in Accra & Kumasi for your Safe & Affordable Shipment * We also do door to door in Accra & Kumasi at very low transportation cost (EXTRA) * We give Bill of Lading too to those who want to clear their own goods Contact: Regina or B'B Manu

Tel: 416-736-1905 416-822-9462 Fax: 416-736-9973

LCD/LED/Plasma TVs

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Hi-Tech Shipping

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Tel: 647-895-1315, 416-913-1986, Fax: 416-850-0580 E-mail: sekoshipping@gmail.com

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We have been in successful business for twenty years.

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We Ship Trucks to Cars, Personal Items, Building materials, Used Clothes and Electronics. Also Deep Freezers and other.

Freight Forwarders & Consolidators 230 Milvan Drive, Toronto, Ontario, M9L 2A5

South East Corner of Steeles and Fenmar / Pine Valley

Tawiah

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60

The Ghanaian News April 2020

PLACES OF WORSHIP DIRECTORY

Ghana Methodist Churches in Canada ( SOCIETIES UNDER THE GHANA METHODIST CONFERENCE) The Superintendents Minister-In-Charge invites

you to worship with us

Toronto Society Place of Worship: 69 Milvan Drive, North York, Ont. (Finch Av./Milvan)

416-743-4555 (Office) 905-216-2323 (Residence) Day and Time of Worship:

Very Rev. Joseph Owusu Atuahene Minister-in-charge

Edmonton Methodist

Sunday: Bible Class Meeting:

10:00 a.m. - 10.30 a.m.

Church Service:

10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Jericho Hour Prayer Meeting 8:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Wednesday Mid-day Prayer - 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Friday: Bible Teaching/Prayer Meeting 8:00 p.m. - 9.00 p.m.

Saturday Organizational Meeting: 6.30 p.m. - 9.30 p.m.

Sunday Brampton Prayer Meeting

8:00 p.m.

587-336-1223

Redemption Methodist Church

Ottawa Methodist

Location: 955 Wilson Ave., Unit 12, North York, ON

613-823-2291

Vancouver Methodist 416-833-1615

Weekly Service Schedule: Monday 7 pm - 8 pm Online Bible Study: Thursday 7 pm - 8:30 pm, Prayer Meeting Friday 7:30 pm - 9 pm

Divine Service, Sundays 10 am - 12:30 pm Contacts: Agnes Donkor - 647-881-4808, Felicia Owusu - 647-533-1093, Grace Kubi - 647-608-5373

In Montreal at: Place of Worship: 6870 Rue de Terreborne, Montreal, Que, H4B 1C5

Day and Time of Worship Sunday Divine Service: 12:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Friday Prayer Meetings: 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Contact: Rev. Joshua C. Doughan - 514-542-0871

Hamilton Society Stoney Creek United Church (Chapel) 1 King Street West, Stoney Creek, Hamilton Contact: 289-244-5914, 289-700-6815, 289-698-1388

Very Reverend Albert K. Appiah, BETHANY METHODIST CHURCH-BRAMPTON PLACE OF WORSHIP1A KNIGHTSBRIGE ROAD (Senior’s Lounge) Sunday Divine Service 2PM-5PM Online Prayer Meeting Fridays at 8PM -9PM 416-800-4317 Code # 9632581 Contact: Robert Frans (289-541-5579) Felix Gyimah (289-931-8443)

SERVICES ARE CONDUCTED FOLLOWING THE TRADITIONAL GHANA METHODIST LITURGY. PLEASE COME AND JOIN US. WE HAVE A PLACE FOR YOU. GOD RICHLY BLESS YOU

Disciples Revival Church Healing & Deliverance Centre Rev. Dr. & Rev (Mrs) Charles Mantey Founders/Senior Pastors

416-614-7771

CHRIST REDEEMER CHURCH

Pastor-in-charge: Pastor Eric Amoah Tel: (416) 748-1242 Cell: (416) 300-9970 Church Services Sunday Service: Bible Study: 10 a.m.-11a.m.

Worship Service: 11a.m. - 1p.m.

Wednesday: Bible Study 6:30p.m.-7:30p.m.

Pastor Eric Amoah Friday Night Prayer: 8p.m.-10p.m.

Location: 14 Haas Rd. , #100, Etobicoke, ON, M9W 3A2

Email:

info@disciplesrevivalchurch.org www.disciplesrevivalchurch.org

Ghanaian Presbyterian Church of Montreal

SUNDAY SERVICE - Morning - 10:00 am Mid-Week Service Wed: Bible Study & Prayer: 6:00 pm - 8:30 pm Friday: Youth Service 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm Friday: Adult Intercessory Prayer - 7:00 - 9:00 pm For deliverance & healing, come to Disciples, a Church that caters to your needs Do visit our website and sign up for the Pastor's monthly newsletter

www.disciplesrevivalchurch.org

30 Gordon Mackay Rd, North York, ON, M9N 2V6

Minister: Rev. Stephen Azundem Services: Tel (office): 450-314-0871 Sunday 10:00AM – 1:00PM Tel (Cell): 514 660 2422 Divine Worship Service Res: 514-542-4142 Wednesday 7:00PM – 9:00PM Teaching Service (Bible Study) Friday 7:00PM – 9:00PM – Prayer Service

3000 Boul St-rose Laval, Quebec, H7R 1T6

FOOD FOR LIFE

The Ghanaian News April 2020 61

Bringing the Gospel to our Community by Rev. Isaac DeGraft Takyi THE CHRISTIAN AND COVID-19: R. E. A. C. H “Panic not, fear not, worry not, blame not, complain not, condemn not and criticize not, BUT Trust God, Have Faith, Be Hygienic, Stay Home, Pray Always, Love People, Worship God, Reach Out and Serve Society” Isaac De-Graft Takyi

challenges us. Now, let us move on to investigatesome of the ways we can serve or better reach out to our communities through the acronymR.E.A.C.H: • R e l a t i o n s h i p build very good relationships with people in your church, and community

First Peter 3:8 “Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble.”

There is no shortage of pain in the world, as we are all witnessing during this COVID19 era. Many people often don’t know what to do with pain, or where our faith fits with it. Do we know what to say to people who have experienced great tragedy and loss? Why do bad things happen to good people? These are some of the questions that are going on in people’s mind. It must be admitted that some of these questions are challenging to answer.tThat not withstanding, God has a way for Christians to respond to questions such as these, as they have done before in the Scriptures and during past pandemics. Jesus wants Christians to serve, love, andshow compassion.In other words, Jesus has saved us to be Hishearts, heads, hands and feet in the community.

Before we look at the 10 ways to reach our community let’s try to ponder over the following questions that might give us a strong reason to act.

QUESTIONS 1. Do our Ghanaian churches reflect our neighbourhood?

2.

If our Churches closed its’ doors, would the community fight to keep us open?

3. Besides Sundays, what other ways does our churches open its doors to the community?

4.

Can we take each ministry and shift it 2 degrees to make it more welcoming to the community?

I

hope

these

questions

• Engage in finding out the NEEDs in your church and community • Act on meeting some of the NEEDs as you are enabled • Commit to few people with need for maximum impact • Hold your church and community in prayers always as you R.E.A.C.H them.

1.

Do Grocery/ prescription Pick up & Delivery/Organize Foodbank Assemble a team and get the word out on social media with a single email or phone number that people can call if they would like to access that service. Have a coordinator handle all the information and add an invitation to an online church or mini gospel of John to the order.

2 . Wr i t e C a r d s f o r H e a l t h C a r e Wo r k e r s and Their Families and Drop Them off with Tr e a t s

What are some of the ideas we can utilize to help us R.E.A.C.H out as believers in our community during these crisis times?

Have members in your church hand write heartfelt thankyou notes to the health care workers in your local care facility. Gather them up and drop them off with a gift basket (wrapped) from your church.

The time for focusing inward has passed;we need to turn our churches loose on the community and be seen as a force for good in a time of darkness. How we respond as a church will determine our

3 . Wr i t e C h a l k M e s s a g e s of Hope on your Church Sidewalks and your own Houses

GLOBAL UNIVERSITY LEARNING CENTER LIVING WORD ASSEMBLY OF GOD TORONTO, CANADA GLOBAL UNIVERSITY: ACCREDITED, ACCESIBLE AND AFFORDABLE Living Word Assembly of God Church, 139 Millwick Avenue, Toronto, Canada is affiliated with Global University, as a Learning Center. We are delighted that you are seeking to prepare yourself for service in God’s harvest field. We trust you will identify a program of study to help you prepare for God’s call on your life.

Global University is a Christian University in the Pentecostal Tradition. Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission in the USA, part of the North Central Region that includes, Ohio State, University of Chicago, Moody Bible Institute.

Global University is Accessible, you can study anywhere at any time through our open enrolment.

Global University tuition is Affordable, the lowest of any highly accredited distance education university.

Global University learners benefit not only from increased knowledge through studying course content but also from spiritual growth and increased discipline. Should you enroll and study with Global University, you will not be studying alone. Instead, you will join students studying in literally every time zone of the world.

Motto: Winning the Lost and Training the Found Everywhere.

To register please contact Rev. Dr. Paa Kwesi Dadzie (Director) 416-831-2488 or Church Office: Mrs. Victoria Mintah (Administrator)

416 741-6285

future. Do notlet us wait any longer; here are 10 ideas we can usethis season to reach out to our communities.

of hope on their sidewalks and on the church property - messages like “There is Hope” and “Jesus Loves You” and “Don’t Fear”. Show your community what faith over fear looks like.

4. Get a Prayer Line for People to call to Pray with or just to talk to Use your church phone or a service like Open Phone to set up a prayer line where people can call in for prayer or just to talk. Make that number known on all of your social media platforms and web site. Set up a prayer team that can pray for these requests as well.

5. Make Professionallooking Encouraging Cards and Drop them off to 50 Homes.

You may want to consider door hangers or postcards and have teams of 2 go around neighborhoods to drop off these encouraging cards with the information on how your church can serve their community. You can get professional cards at Vista Print or get the next-Gen team to design one for use. cont’d on pg. 65

Get members to write messages

62

The Ghanaian News April 2020

Why Ghanaians pray instead of party - Elizabeth Ohene writes In the BBC’s series of letters from African writers, journalist and former Ghana government minister Elizabeth Ohene writes about why she avoided New Year celebrations. We go to great lengths here to start every year on a high note.

The belief is if things start off well on the first day of the year, the rest of the year will turn out fine.

The night-time service that sees in the New Year, therefore, tends to be the most enthusiastically patronised church service in Ghana.

The churches are normally overflowing.

Even if you have not been to church the whole year, you make a great effort to be at the 31 December “watchnight service” to ensure that when the bell strikes to usher in the New Year, you are in church.

The church hierarchy loves it.

Of course, the offertory is generous and the congregation can be blackmailed into giving more than normal.

you eat well on New Year’s Day. That means people go to great lengths to eat festival and celebratory food.

It is fashionable these days for high-end restaurants to lay on special packages to attract people to spend the day with them.

Goats and sheep slaughtered In many households, goats and sheep would have been killed, a few homes would have turkey but chicken, probably, would still be the celebratory meat in most homes.

Tucked in bed Obviously, nothing that will happen between now and 7 December will have the slightest bearing on the elections.

I am looking forward to a quiet life, without any of the drama that characterises my life, I abandoned my customary riotous 31 December activities and welcomed the New Year in bed.

The idea is if you eat well on the first day of the year, there is a great likelihood you would have good food to eat the rest of the year.

By the end of the third day of the year, I am afraid I have to conclude that 2020 will be the same as all the others; here am I with a cold, courtesy, I believe of the intense harmattan blanket of sand that has covered the country.

We take so seriously the belief that what happens on New Year’s Day influences the rest of the year that people will hold back from giving you information on New Year’s Day if it is deemed to be bad news.

A good New Year’s Day only lasts for the 24 hours, the year will have surprises, there will be good days and there will be bad days. graphiconline.com

The need to wear white

If, God forbid, someone should die on New Year’s Day, we would try and only release the news a day or two later.

Making sure you start on a high note means you wear white clothes on the first day of the year.

You cannot start the year with such bad news.

White is our celebratory and good luck colour and the idea is when you start with white clothes, the rest of the year will be full of good luck and celebrations.

would have been told which of the two leading candidates, President Nana Akufo-Addo or his predecessor John Mahama, would win.

Advertising in The

The priests and so-called men of God come into their own at this time.

Ghanaian News

Much of the country awaits with bated breath for New Year’s Day predictions.

WORKS

The churches are therefore full of people in white clothes and even those who do not make it to church, wear white clothes wherever the New Year finds them.

And this being an election year in Ghana, we have had priests predicting who will win the presidential elections scheduled for 7 December.

Starting on a high note also means you make sure

Depending on which church you attended, you

CALL NOW 416-916-3700

The Ghanaian News April 2020 63

EVANGEL ASSEMBLY OF GOD CHURCH 314 Rexdale Blvd. Etobicoke, Ont. M9W 1R6 Tel: 416-242-7950 Fax: 416-242-8573 Church Activities

Pastor in Charge

Rev. Milton Offei

Sunday School: Church Service: Sunday Evening: Wednesday Bible Studies: Friday Prayer Meeting:

10a.m. -11:00a.m.

11a.m. - 1:30p.m.

7p.m. - 8:30p.m.

7p.m. - 8:30p.m.

7p.m. - 9:00p.m.

I AM ALPHA & OMEGA MINISTRY INT'L We invite you to worship with us Church Service: Sunday Worship: 10.00a.m. - 12.30 p.m.

Wednesday Bible Studies: 6.00p.m. - 7.30 p.m.

Friday Prayer Meeting: 7.00p.m. - 9.00 p.m.

JESUS Loves You

Bishop John Mensah

NEW LOCATION 100 Penn Drive, Unit #6, North York, Ont.

Tel: 416-419-6671

Transformation Centre Assembly of God Church, Mississauga Join us on Sundays for Worship at: Venue: 161 Lakeshore Road W, Mississauga, ON

Time: 10:30am—1:30pm

Contact: Rev. Isaac K. Bonful Tel: 289-814-5482

Email: transformcentreag@yahoo.ca Website: www. transformationcentreag.ca Be transformed by the renewing of your mind… “Rom.12:2a

Bethel Prayer Ministry Int'l Do you desire to experience the power and the presence of God demonstrated in your life?

Do you want to experience the marvelous work of God's grace in your life?

Then, Bethel Prayer Ministry International would like to invite you to visit their church where the word of God is preached powerfully to release the power of God in your life.

Pastor Dennis Awuku COME AND YOU WILL BE BLESSED Senior Pastor

Contact:

Cell. 416-400-8211 Church 416-642-0390 Worship Hours: Sunday Service: 9am - 1pm Tuesday 9am - 2 pm Consultation Wednesday: 7pm - 9p.m.

Friday: 9pm - 12 pm Saturday (Prayer Warriors) 6pm - 8pm Location: 52 Carrier Drive, Unit 12, (Albion/Hwy 27)

Good Shepherd Prayer Ministry Invites you all to come worship with us Venue: 95 Eddystone Ave unit 4 North York, ON Time of worship: Sunday:10am - 1pm Wednesday bible studies 7pm - 9pm Friday Prayer / Deliverance 7pm - 9pm

Etobicoke, Ont., M9w 5S5

Harvest Christian Church Invites you for a wonderful time with the Lord

Worship Hours Pastor Joseph Nash Sarfo Founder & Pastor-in-charge

The thief cometh not , but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.11.l am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. Amen.

John 10 :10-11

Tel: 416 667-9763 cell 647 500-4415 / 647 718-4819 / 416 300-4258 Email:pastorjsarfo@gmail.com I encourage you to join us in worship regardless of your situation the power of God is available to make you whole

Sundays (Mornings) 10 - 12:45pm Wednesday (Bible Study) 7 -8:30 pm Friday (All Night Prayer) 8-10:30pm Rev Moses Sarpong

Come and Experience the power of the Word Join us at 196 Toryork Drive(Corner of Weston/Finch)

Tel: 416-743-2507

It’s Harvest Time So Reach Out And Make A Difference

It’s A Great Commission!

64

The Ghanaian News April 2020

The Apostolic Church Int'l.

The Apostolic Church International (Toronto Assembly) is a Branch of The Apostolic Church in Ghana Apostle Nii Aryee (Area Supt. Canada-Wide)

Meeting Schedule Sunday (Worship) Wednesday Teaching Service Friday Prayers Friday: Monthly All Night Service Saturday : Movements -

- - - -

10:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

10:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m.

5:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

THE APOSTLES'

Field Superintendent contact: 416-454-6141 (cell) 905-913-2037 (Res)

CONTINUATION CHURCH INTERNATIONAL (CANADA)

168 Rexdale Blvd.,

North American Headquarters: 10 Belfield Road Toronto, Ont., M9W 1G1 Tel: 416-247-6629 Fax: 416-247-5308

Etobicoke, Ontario, M9W 1P6 Church Office 416-740-1979 Field Secretary: Pastor Cyril Williams - 416-875-9616 Apostle Charles Anokye-Manu

Lighthouse Assembly of God Church

SERVICE TIMES:

THEME FOR YEAR 2020:

“PRAYER AND THE WORD” Acts 6:4 SUNDAY SERVICES: 10:00 am-1:30 pm Ghanaian Service Pastor-in-charge: Rev. Boniface Keelson

WEEKDAY SERVICES: Wednesday - Bible Studies 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Friday - Holy Ghost Service 7:00 pm -9:00 pm LOCATION:

Worship Service Bible Studies Service All Night Service Deliverance

Toronto

Montreal Assembly

10 Belfield Road Tel: 416-247-6629

378 Cremazie East Montreal, Quebec, H2P 1E5

Scarborough Assembly

(Hwy 27/Steeles) Toronto, Ontario, M9W 6Y6

63 Howden Rd., Unit 'F' Scarborough, ON, M1R 3C7

lighthouseagtoronto.org

lighthouseag@outlook.com

Rhema Power of Grace Chapel Int'l

Tel 647-850- 0142 Fax 416-945- 9445

350 Deerhide Cres, North York, ON Rev. Bishop Joe Bonnah

Sunday Divine Worship Twi Service - 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Multicultural Service - 2 p.m. - 4 p.m.

Wednesday - Midweek Service Friday - All Night Service

-

8p.m. - 10p.m.

10p.m. - 1a.m.

Contact Lines: 416-321-2796 (Pastor's Res) 416-747-9225 (Church) Cell: 647-921-2414

Contact: Res: 450-687-4916 Cell: 514-654-6178

Church, Scarborough

Place of Worship:

Founder &Pastor-in-charge

Tel: 514-271-9083 Pastor-In-Charge: John Arhin

Immanuel Assembly of God

Invites all Christians, Non-Christians and members of the community to join us worship the Great Jehovah

Days And Time of Worship

- Sunday 10:30 a.m.

Wednesday 9:00 p.m.

- Friday 9:30 p.m.

- Saturday 4:00 p.m.

Worship With Us At These Branches In Canada

42 Steinway Blvd. Unit 1&2

Tel: 416-740-1200 Fax: 416-740-6435 Email:

Website: www.apostlescontinuation.org

Rev. Douglas O. Ansah Pastor-in-charge

Sunday School: 9:30am -10:30am Church Service: 10:30am - 12 noon

LOCATION Don Montgomery Community Centre 2467 Eglinton Ave. E. Scarborough, Ont., (Kennedy/Eglinton Subway Station) For more info contact:

647-880-4216

Email: immanuelscarborough@gmail.com Website: immanuelaog.ca.

The Ghanaian News April 2020 65

THE CHRISTIAN AND COVID-19: R. E. A. C. H

Infected with the coronavirus but not showing symptoms? cont’d from pg 44

cont’d from pg. 61

6.

Organize Drive-thru Communion and Prayer Set up a time in the day where people can drive their cars to your church and receive communion and prayer while they are in their car. Wear gloves and maintain all the appropriate health standards whilewyou visit with and lead them in communion.

7. Host Community Chat Nights or Alpha Online or the Marriage Course Online or the Parenting Course Online via Zoom

Get church members to each donate $10 and purchase Skip-the-Dishes coupons that you can give to people who need a hand or to health care workers to bless them.

10. Assemble Care Packages f o r t h e L o c a l S h e l t e r.

Contact your local shelter or food bank and ask them how you as a church can serve them currently. Be a blessing to those who have no place to go.

The Bible admonishes us:

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, Use zoom to host alpha, the marriage humility, gentleness and patience. course or a parenting course. You can 13 Bear with each other and forgive one have people register and lead them another if any of you has a grievance through a 3-6-week course online. against someone. Forgive as the Lord Follow security protocols if you are forgave you. using zoom so you do not get “zoom 14 And over all these virtues put on bombed”. Get the word out using your love, which binds them all together in social media. perfect unity Colossians 3:12-14 NIV 8. Offer Prepared Frozen Meals to those who are SelfIsolating Have members cook up meals for 4, put them in “to-go” containers and freeze them. Once you have several on hand, make it available to people who are self-isolating.

9. Have Members of the Congregation Donate $10 Skip-the-Dishes or Ubereats coupons and make them available for those in need.

Be like Jesus: • When the Lord saw her, He felt compassion for her, and said to her, “Do not weep.” Luke 7:13 • When He went ashore, He saw a large crowd, and felt compassion for them and healed their sick. Matthew 14:14 • Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes; and immediately they regained their sight and followed Him. Matthew 20:34

Welcome Home Evangelistic Ministries Affiliated with the Evangelical Church In Canada

Gen. Overseer & Founder: Evang. & Prophetess Winnie Manu BRE, M. Div.

New address: Heart Lake United Church 85 Sandalwood Pkwy E. Brampton, ON Sunday Worship Service Start from 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm Wednesday Discipleship class is 7pm Friday Prayer meeting is 7pm Contact Info: Tel: 647 210 7057 Fax: 905 495 4789 Website: www.whemfamily.com

Email: whemtoday@gmail.com

After an asymptomatic infection, would someone still have antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in their blood?

Most people are developing antibodies after recovery from COVID-19, likely even those without symptoms.

It is a reasonable assumption, from what scientists know about other coronaviruses, that those antibodies will offer some measure of protection from reinfection. But nothing is known for sure yet.

Recent serosurveys in New York City that check people’s blood for antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 indicate that as many as one in five residents may have been previously infected with COVID-19. Their immune systems had fought off the coronavirus, whether they’d known they were infected or not – and many apparently didn’t.

How widespread is asymptomatic COVID-19 infection?

three people who tested positive never came down with the illness.

When doctors tested 397 people staying at a homeless shelter in Boston, 36% came up positive for COVID-19 – and none of them had complained of any symptoms.

In the case of Japanese citizens evacuated from Wuhan, China and tested for COVID-19, fully 30% of those infected were aymptomatic.

An Italian pre-print study that has not yet been peer-reviewed found that 43% of people who tested positive for COVID-19 showed no symptoms.

Of concern: The researchers found no difference in how potentially contagious those with and without symptoms were, based on how much of the virus the test found in indiduals’ samples.

No one knows for sure, and for the moment lots of the evidence is anecdotal.

The antibody serosurveys getting underway in different parts of the country add further evidence that a good number – possibly anywhere from around 10% to 40% – of those infected might not experience symptoms.

For a small example, consider the nursing home in Washington where many residents became infected.

Twenty-three tested positive. Ten of them were already sick. Ten more eventually developed symptoms. But

Asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection appears to be common – and will continue to complicate efforts to get the pandemic under control. The Conversation

66

The Ghanaian News April 2020

Glory Pentecostal Ministry of Toronto Pastor-in-charge: Rev. Rockson Owusu Atwima - 416-708-7742

Invites all Christians and Non-Christians to join us to worship the Almighty God WORSHIP SCHEDULE Sunday Regular Service 11:00 am to 1:30 pm Tuesday Prayer and Healing Service 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm Friday Prayer Night 9:00 pm to 11:00 pm

Infographic: News stories about the death of Digital Currency Bitcoin decline by 98 percent 98% fewer articles concerning the death of bitcoin published compared to 2018 2011-2018 53% of all articles on bitcoin negative More neutral and positive news stories since the corona crisis

PLACE OF WORSHIP 230 Eddystone Ave., #207, North York, Ont. M3N 1H7

Bitcoin market price rises 21.8% since beginning of the year

We are more tan our conquerors Romans 8:37

Outperforming the Dax, the Dow Jones and Gold

"Come and see the manifestation and the power of the Holy Spirit at work"

Praise Temple of Christ International Snr. Pastor: Apostle Osei-Bonsu 336 Gary Ray Drive @ Signet Worship Schedule Sunday Worship - 10 am - 12:30 pm Wednesday - Bible Study - 7 pm - 9 pm Friday - Prayer Meeting - 8 pm - 10 pm Second and last Friday of each month All Night Prayer Meeting 10 p.m. - 2 a.m.

Apostle Osei Bonsu

Pastor Appiah Jacob

For information call: 905-840-7387, 647-208-1093 416-209-9136, 647-710-2573

Church of Christ Ghanaian Congregation Greater Toronto Area Matthew 16:18

Address: 1771 Albion Rd. (Forum Banquet Hall) Hwy 27/Albion

Every Sunday: 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon Contact Information Adu Kwasi 647-745-8074 Brother Acheampong 416-671-4268 Sam - Ghana House 647-867-2020 Brother Agyenim 647-656-9905 Brother Ato 416-728-8574 Brother Asamoah 647-867-0945

All Are Invited

Reports in high-circulation newspapers forecasting the collapse of Bitcoin have fallen by around 98 percent since 2018. During the first four months of 2020, fewer critical BTC stories been published than ever before, according to a new infographic from Kryptoszene. de.

The study shows that only one article predicting Bitcoin’s imminent demise was published between January and April this year. Last year, there were 15 articles in the same period, two years ago there were 51, and even at the end of last year there were significantly more critical articles with titles such as “Bitcoin is Dying”, “All Crypto Currencies Will Disappear”, or “Bitcoin, the End of an Era”.

Between 2011 and 2018, of the 1,498 articles on Bitcoin analyzed, 53 percent were negative, 24 percent neutral and only 23 percent positive.

However especially since the outbreak of the Corona crisis, it seems that more and more neutral and positive articles are being published concerning the crypto currency with the largest market capitalization.

In terms of its market price, the year so far has also been extremely successful for Bitcoin. While the DAX has lost 22% since the beginning of the year and the Dow Jones has also dropped 17.8%, the price of BTC rose by 21.8%. As the infographic shows, even gold - an insurance asset for times of crisis - could not keep up with Bitcoin.

The market value of the precious metal increased by 15.2%.

“Various factors could be favoring the digital currency,” says cryptoscene analyst Raphael Lulay. “This includes for example the limited quantity of Bitcoin, especially in times of inflationary fears. Even when compared to the currency Libra, however, Bitcoin performs comparatively well.

The development is accompanied by assessments by policymakers who currently consider the potential risk posed by the digital currency to be ‘low’”.

The full story with the infographic, facts and more statistics: https://kryptoszene.de/news-storiesabout-the-death-of-digital-currencybitcoin-decline-by-98-percent/ infographic

Mfantseman Cultural Association of Toronto celebrates 20th milestone cont’d from pg. 39

a success.

The Ubuntu Cultural Group of Toronto (composed of mainly school children with African background) entertained the audience to classic cultural display. Also, the Seraphic Voices of Toronto led by Uncle Sam (prolific organist) wowed the attendees with their sweet melodic songs and some Christmas carols.

The Guest of Honour was Consul General Thomas Seshie. He used the occasion to emphasize the fact that all Ghanaians identify themselves with Ghana and lauded the association for getting the anniversary cloth from Ghana thus creating jobs which was very good. He congratulated the leadership of Mfantseman Cultural Association for leading this association for twenty good years. He added that the melodic songs of the Seraphic Voices demonstrated that heaven would be a wonderful place. “The young ones should be trained to replace grownups in the community”, referring to what he saw in the skills of the cultural dancers. He ended that we could make our country Ghana great wherever we are, if we are determined.

Special congratulatory message was sent to the association by Hon. Judy Sgro, the Member of Parliament (Federal) for the Humber River-Black Creek riding in Toronto.

Hon Justice Kofi Barnes of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice who was

the chairman for the event wished all a Merry Christmas and asked the audience to give themselves applause and afterwards gave way for the presentation of awards to 8 deserving recipients. Some were the founding members of the association and active youth members including some past presidents and serving executives of the associations. Some of the youth of the association who participated in last summer GCAO organized Modern Batik Couture workshop (sponsored by the Toronto Arts Council) in Toronto were also recognized at the event.

A raffle draw was held to raise funds in aid of the proposed Ghanaian Canadian Heritage Center to be built in Toronto under the auspices of the Ghanaian Canadian Association of Ontario (GCAO). Many prizes including microwave, ladies handbags, kitchen wares and other items were won with Juliana Robertson winning the grand prize of 60 inches-RCA TV Sumptuous dinner was served and as usual the members danced as flags of Ghana and Canada were displayed. The anniversary cloth made the atmosphere very colourful indeed. The MCs were Kwesi Eduful alias Shatta, Uncle Ken Sam and Bella Stephen.

The association held its 20th Anniversary Thanksgiving Church Service at the Ghanaian Anglican Church in Toronto on Sunday, January 5, 2020. To God be the glory.

The Ghanaian News April 2020 67

The Coronavirus Epidemic: Who Is Worth Saving In Ghana?

WE’RE IN A WAR ZONE. The Update: “75 million Americans are told to stay home as test reveals more coronavirus cases”. Reported cases have continued to jump as the virus spreads more and more Americans are getting tested.

The United States of America had its first case on 21st January in Seattle ,Washington, and two months later more than 200 people have died and they’re still counting. This is not a science fiction!

Folks, we’re not out of the woods yet. But, the question is : Who is worth saving when the demand on our fragile healthcare delivery system becomes so overwhelm and unbearable?

What happens in(Ghana) in the next few weeks depends largely on us--our government, politicians, healthcare institution and in particularly, the twentysomething million inhabitants of this land--all making tiny decisions on daily basis with oversize consequence for our collective future.

In the worst case scenario, if Ghana embraces drastic restrictions, social- distancing measures and school closures, for instance, we could reduce our death rate around lower thousands, and exhale a national sigh of relief as we prepare for the our next phase of action and mop up--that is a big ‘If’.

First thing first. Right now ,there is a need to slow down the spread of the contagion ,so that it doesn’t overwhelm our fragile healthcare system.

My worst fear is: When we’re overwhelmed by it, doctors would be forced to practice ‘disaster medicine’.

The term comes from wars zones and natural disasters, when emergency doctors must prioritize the order of treatment to decide who they will use the scarce resources to try to save; and who they’ll let go.

In the countries where the virus is taking a toll on them ,doctors have to give priority to those who are expected to live longer. Age is not only a factor, but the older you are ,the lower you’re on the priority list. And in Ghana, how much money you have , your political ‘connections’ and family background will ultimately be the determining factors as well.

Nevertheless, our success or failure in fighting this maniac depends on how long we’re willing to endure the harsh restrictions on our lives and movements, for months, let alone for a year or more. We’re

3.There should be hefty penalties for those who will break the ‘containment orders’.

talking about a country that doesn’t have a single river that is not polluted by galamsey or a workable commercial food storage system in place.

4.The public should be wellinformed(something that should have been done way earlier).Because unless the government gets the cooperation of the public, its policies may not be adhered to, and enforcement only can go so far.

Mindful of the fact that we started with checking the symptoms at the port of entries ,then hand -washing and sanitization and socialdistancing. By next week or two, we might embark on curfew and total lockdown status--food and water shortages abound.

I know most people will ignore the warning signs on the wall, but this is serious than we make it sound or look.

It has been predicted by the world’s top epidemiologists that: “Coronavirus is the most serious respiratory virus threat since the 1918 flu pandemic.

And If drastic actions are not taken to limit the viral spread, as many as 2.2 million people in the United Stated(alone) could die over the course of the pandemic”.

Now picture this for a moment. If the United States of America is that vulnerable then how does it make us in Ghana? .

With that, we need to take stock of all the available hospital beds (including intensivecare beds)nation- wide. I’m sure we’re way short of the projected beds needed in our hospitals. We also need to take an inventory of all the medical personnel we have(including those who are home doing nothing).This will allow us to be proactive and activate our emergency deployment plan ,when things gets worst. This is a war so we better fight it as such.

Now the fearful part: With the outbreak that has become a full -blown pandemic, all elective surgeries and other minor medical procedures to save lives will be cancelled or pushed to the curve, so as to free up staff and space to attend to corornvirus cases.

What are we going to do to ordinary emergencies--stroke, heart-attacks, car accidents, etc ?

I don’t want to sound like a prophet of doom, but if the numbers start to skyrocket, perhaps we may have to convert stadiums and church buildings into ‘isolation wards’ .But, do we have enough beds to go around? What about other logistics? What about food and water situations?

The point is, we lost the ‘best opportunity’ to act because we were ill-prepared. We had two months to act, yet there was a perception that” China is very far away and that nothing is going to happen here”.

To reduce the numbers of the casualties, there is a need to embark on vigorous actions which are not limited to these: 1.The government should pass laws to give free extensive and affordable testing to people because some people without symptoms could still be contagious.

2.Let’s deploy our armed forces and BNI officers to trace the virus ‘contacts’ and bring them for testing. They can also control unauthorized movement of the citizens.

5.As individuals, we need a ‘sense of responsibility’ and change of attitude to combat this enemy.

It’s believed that the more aggressive measures put in place by the government, the faster we can slow the transmission rate.

Nevertheless, this crisis can bring the worst in us-xenophobic conspiracy theories and other negative human impulses. For every crisis brings forth its own psychological and societal injuries ,as well. So we have to watch out so as to bring the best in us and be our neighbor’s keepers because

we have nowhere else to go.

At this point, anything that can reduce the demand on the healthcare system will be our best remedy. That will be the only weapon we can depend on. But, before that let us see this as a war. We must and should deploy all our arsenals and armed forces to get involved before it’s too late.

If the Parliament House or the Flag Staff House and any other house in the nation is not safe from the virus, it’s a declaration of war on our fragile nation. So it needs to be fought as such.

Our worst and really frighten days are yet to come so let keep hope alive.

Until next time .Stay tuned.

Be blessed ,educated and informed.

Kwaku Adu-Gyamfi(Voice of reason) *The author is a social commentator and a diehard concerned citizen, not a spectator.

68

The Ghanaian News April 2020

Around the World Sports Scene

with Jonathan Baah Annobil

Toronto FC agrees to new long-term contract with midfielder Marky Delgado Jordan Ayew gets the nod from football writers as Crystal Palace Player of the Year

Toronto FC has reached agreement on a new long-term deal with midfielder Marky Delgado.

Just 24, the Californian has already played 182 MLS regular-season and playoff games with all but 37 of those in Toronto colours. But his future with the franchise was put in question after Delgado, entering the last year of his contract, tweeted “Final year, let’s enjoy it” during preseason in late January.

General manager Ali Curtis says any doubt has been removed, with a new contract awaiting league approval.

“For all intents and purposes, we’ve reached agreement,” Curtis told the Footy Talks podcast.

Delgado helps keep the ball moving in the Toronto

Toronto FC’s Marky Delgado, left, chases the ball ahead of New York Red Bulls’ Tyler Adams during second half MLS soccer action Saturday September 30, 2017 in Toronto. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jon Blacker

midfield, playing an important linking role.

“Marky is a talented player ...

Marky’s been a really big part of the success of TFC. And age is on his side as well,” Curtis added. “He’s young, he stays healthy, takes care of his body.

“And so Marky was a player that we identified early on, that this is a player that it’s important we try to extend him and get a long-term deal.”

Delgado made US$253,000 last season, which ranked 16th among TFC players.

The Canadian Press

Freddie Roach wasn’t the right fit for Isaac Dogboe - Paul Dogboe Father and trainer of Isaac the ‘Royal Storm’ Dogboe, Paul Dogboe has revealed why his son parted ways with Boxing Hall of fame coach Freddie Roach.

After two successive loses to Emanuel Navarette, the camp of Isaac Dogboe decided to change their strategy as the dethroned champion joined the camp of Manny Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach.

However, their relationship didn’t last long as both parties decided to go their separate ways due to time constraints.

Speaking in a radio interview, Paul Dogboe noted that his son couldn’t be mentored by the Boxing Hall

of Famer because he couldn’t adjust to his new boxer’s time.

“We went to Hollywood, that’s where Freddy trains and when we went there, there were about 8 serious boxers there and everything was nice and great but we will say it wasn’t the right fit for Isaac Dogboe. I am the right fit for my son as to how he made it because if you have to study and box, you need to have a coach that is dedicated to your time. It’s not about the coach’s time because now the kid is a world champion and the coaches have to adjust to the champions time,” he told Joy FM. “We cannot adjust to the coaches time to favour the boxer. Freddy

Roach had time but he has his own time and the time that he does his things, so we had to fit into it.”

Paul added that they kept searching for a new trainer who could fit into the boxer’s time and they settled on Patrice Harris and Barry Hunter.

“So we went to Freddy Roach and other coaches and found the right fit for Isaac, that is Patrice Harris and Barry Hunter.”

Isaac Dogboe was supposed to return to the ring this month (April) against Mexican Enrique Bernacheon but the bout has been postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic Prime News Ghana

I was very nervous at training – Yaw Yeboah talks about his days at Man City Black Meteors skipper Yaw Yeboah has opened up on his playing days with English Premier League side Manchester City.

Yeboah, 23, joined Manchester City from Right to Dream Academy in 2014 but failed to break into the first team, spending most of his time on loan spells across Europe before eventually landing a permanent contract with Numancia.

“But Vincent Kompany, who has always been a good leader walked to me and inspired me to do what I know best because he’s seen the capabilities in me.

According to Yeboah, “Yaya Toure and Emmanuel Adebayor helped me a lot. They told me to enjoy the training and leave fear out of me and not be pressured by mistakes.

“I was very nervous which was normal, the senior players could see the fear in me whenever I’m given the ball.

He added that the support Yaya Toure, Adebayor, Kompany, Fernandinho and David Silva

Majority of football writers at sportsmole.co.uk have chosen Ghana striker Jordan Ayew as Crystal Palace›s Player of Year.

Ayew was in top form before the suspension of the English Premier League due to the Coronavirus outbreak.

The Ghana international banged in goals to ensure the Eagles won three games in a row after winning just one of their previous 12.

Ghana International Yaw Yeboah

gave him was unimaginable.

“David Silva, Vincent Kompany, and Sergio Aguero would call me along anytime they are having their separate individual separate training” he concluded. sportscorna.com

The likes of Vicente Guaita and Gary Cahill deserve praise for their performances this season, but Jordan Ayew, in my opinion, deserves to be named Palace’s player of the season.

The 29-year-old has managed eight Premier League goals this term and his form has been particularly important considering that the team’s star man Wilfried Zaha has registered just three league goals.

Here are the views of Sports Mole team on who they think has been Palace’s player of the season so far.

Only Zaha (29) has made more league appearances than Ayew (28) for Roy Hodgson’s side this term, while the attacker has scored the winner in Palace’s last two league games against Brighton & Hove Albion and Watford. One thing is for sure, the Eagles would not be 11th in the table at this stage without Ayew’s goals.

Barney

Editor:

Darren Plant, Senior Reporter:

Considering Crystal Palace’s poor attacking record this season it seems somewhat counter-intuitive to select a striker as their best player of the campaign, but in a squad where few individuals have stood out, Jordan Ayew has been Palace›s most important member for me.

On six occasions, Palace have prevailed by onegoal margins when Ayew has made an impact in the final third, which includes a goal against Manchester United at Old Trafford.

But the performance of goalkeeper Vicente Guaita has been impressive too with Roy Hodgson’s side needing only one more point to reach the 40-point safety mark.

Corkhill,

The 28-year-old has scored eight of Palace’s 26 goals, and crucially five of those have been winning goals - only the Liverpool trio of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino have been responsible for more winners.

“That approach helped me a lot which brought back the confidence. I remember how I made Pablo Zabaleta a subject of mockery by dribbling him on countless occasions during a training session,” he stated.

Speaking in an interview with Kumasi FM, Yeboah said it was a great feeling joining Manchester City.

Black Star Striker, Jordan Ayew

Ayew’s goals have been the difference between Hodgson’s side battling for a place in the top half or fighting against relegation, and a special mention must also go to his goal-of-the-season contender against West Ham United.

Matt Law, Football Editor:

However, five of his other seven strikes have come against teams below Palace in the table, meaning that the versatile attacker has been the major difference between a relegation battle.

Dan Lewis, Senior Reporter: Despite netting just one topflight goal during last season’s loan spell, Ayew clearly did enough to persuade Palace to pay Swansea City £2.5m to sign him permanently last July.

That has to go down as one of the best signings of the summer transfer window as the Ghanaian has eight goals to his name. Ghana Soccernet

The Ghanaian News April 2020 69

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The Ghanaian News April 2020 71

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