The Speaker Alban Bagbin has revealed that 15 Members of Parliament (MPs) and 56 staff have tested positive for the COVID-19 disease.

According to him all the 15 MP and 56 staff of the House have been contacted and advised to self-isolate and also given prescriptions to facilitate their recovery.

Additionally, Parliament is taking steps to tests the households of the 15 MPs and 56 members of staff in order to avert re-infection upon their return from self-isolation and treatment.

Speaker Bagbin made the revelation when he informed members of the House about the COVID-19 situation in the legislature and to update members on the results received from the Noguchi Centre for Medical Research on the testing of MPs and staff.

Speaker Bagbin also stated that report from Parliament Medical Centre revealed that 227 members submitted themselves to testing, while the others conducted their own test at private medical facilities.

He said results of 193 staff received from the Medical Centre 56 of them tested positive to the virus.

He urged MPs who conducted their own tests at private medical facilities to submit the results of those test to the Director of the Parliamentary Medical Centre for examination.

Speaker Bagbin also announced that in order to curb the further spread of the virus, the House would from next week sit twice in a week, which is on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

He indicated that only MPs and members of staff who were needed for the business of the House on those days would be allowed into the precincts of Parliament from next week, adding that this excludes members and staff who have tested positive and those who were yet to present themselves for testing.

He therefore directed the Marshal of Parliament to take note of the announcement made to enforce the directives given.

According to Speaker Bagbin the House has generously accepted to do a mob-up today, Friday, February 5, 2021, and therefore urged members who have not taken the opportunity to test do so.

Source:GNA