Sports journalist Gary Al-Smith tests positive for Covid-19

Sports Journalist Gary Al-Smith, with the Multimedia Group, has contracted coronavirus.

Gary took to Facebook to announce his status, pledging to be an ambassador against stigmatisation.

The broadcast journalist’s post comes on the heels of an announcement by the Multimedia Group that five of its staff have tested positive for COVID-19, which has infected almost 13,000 people in Ghana, with 66 deaths.

A statement from multimedia read:

Multimedia records 5 Covid-19 cases

"This is to inform you that five members of our team at our business offices in Accra who were contact traced and tested by the Ghana Health Service (GHS) have tested positive for the Covid-19.

The affected team members, who were all asymptomatic, have been isolated in line with case management protocols. Officials of the Ghana Health Service are monitoring them and we can report that they are all hale and hearty and are responding well to treatment.   

As part of ensuring the safety and well-being of our team members and our guests and to minimise any potential spread of the virus, we have ramped up internal contact tracing, in liaison with the Ghana Health Service. Together, we have ensured that team members who may have come into contact with the five (5) team members who tested positive have been tested and have gone into self-isolation for 14 days as required. In addition, all remaining team members are to be tested. Testing commenced on Monday, June 15, 2020.

Furthermore, thorough disinfection and deep cleansing of our studios, offices and facilities takes place on daily basis. 

The measures, as indicated above, have been taken to enable us protect team members, guests and visitors to our studios and offices. The measures notwithstanding, we wish to encourage all team members and guests to observe the enhanced safety protocols we have put in place in all our offices and branches.

Be assured that we are working with health authorities to implement all safety measures as required while discharging our responsibility to the nation, our audience and advertisers even in these difficult times."

Kind regards, 

Minutes after the company released a statement, Gary posted on social media that he was among employees of the company who had tested positive for the disease.

“As per this statement, Multimedia has recorded five cases of COVID-19.I’m one of the five. After consultation with my family, we have decided that from tonight, I’ll be speaking on radio and TV about my experience.