News
15,000 Rohingya under quarantine as coronavirus cases rise
At least 15,000 Rohingya refugees are under quarantine in Bangladesh’s vast camps, as the number of confirmed coronavirus infections there rose to 29.
Health experts have long warned that the virus could race through the cramped settlements, housing almost a million Rohingya who fled violence in Myanmar, and officials had restricted movement in the area in April.
Despite this, the first cases in the camps were detected in mid-May.
“None of the infections are critical. Most hardly show any symptoms. Still, we have brought them in isolation centres and quarantined their families,” Toha Bhuiyan, a senior health official in the surrounding Cox’s Bazar area told AFP news agency on Monday.
He said narrow roads to three camp districts – where the majority of the infections were detected – have been blocked off by authorities.
The 15,000 Rohingya inside these so-called blocks faced further restrictions on their movement, he said.
This comes as charity workers expressed fears over being infected in the camps as they worked without adequate protection.
Two of the areas under isolation are in Kutupalong camp, home to roughly 600,000 Rohingya.
“We are trying to scale up testing as fast as possible to make sure that we can trace out all the infected people and their contacts,” Bhuiyan said.
Seven isolation centres with the capacity to treat more than 700 COVID-19 patients have been prepared, he said, with officials hoping to have just under 2,000 by the end of May.
But, according to Nay San Lwin, co-founder of Free Rohingya Coalition, there are not enough ICU beds and ventilators available for refugees and the local community in Cox’s Bazar region.
Mahbubur Rahman, chief health official of Cox’s Bazar, said authorities hoped this week they would double the number of tests being performed daily, which stand at 188.
He said further entry restrictions have been imposed on the camp, with a 14-day quarantine in place for anyone visiting from Dhaka.
-AL JAZEERA AND NEWS AGENCIES
News
Cake Tekniks holds 59th graduation ceremony
About 30 students on Sunday graduated from the 59th graduation ceremony of Cake Tekniks International, a privately-owned modern cake designing and sugar craft school in Accra.
During the ceremony, all graduates were presented with certificates while 13 of them also received professional diploma.
The founder of Cake Tekniks International, Mrs Jane Addo, said her outfit was dedicated to providing world standard skills, knowledge and hands-on training necessary for one to succeed worldwide in the culinary industry.
She encouraged the students to embrace the opportunities, challenges and experiences, mindful of the fact that they are well-equipped.
“Hold your heads up while you build a goodwill between your clients and yourselves,” she added.
Mrs Addo said the school was passionate about fostering the culture of creativity, motivation and excellence with the belief that every student had the potential to make a lasting impact in the culinary world.
The founder and leader of QA Consult, Mr Johnson Opoku-Boateng, said graduation was a witness to the unveiling of talents, passion and hard work and testament to months of dedication and hands-on-learning.
He urged the graduands to ensure that their cakes were safe and good for human health and that their success would be dependent on how well they serve, create and grow.
The event also saw the exhibition of cakes and pastries by the students.
receiving her certificate
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
News
Debutant Bella Agyemang lauded for Box Office ‘Magic’
New producer, Bella Agyemang, has been hailed by Silverbird Cinemas and other industry players for her Box Office ‘Magic’ over the weekend.
Bella’s ‘Check In’ movie has received praise for being the first to sell at the cinemas this year.
Speaking to The Spectator, Sales and Marketing Lead at Silverbird Cinemas Ghana, Nana Kwame Obiri-Tete said, for a debutant, Bella Agyemang did fantastically well in her maiden premiere.
He said he was proud of Bella Agyemang’s effort in getting people to show up, adding that she engaged in a lot of marketing activities.
He said her marketing activations on the streets, coupled with other Public Relations endeavours, pointed in the right direction.
“With what she has done, it shows that Bella has a big future. You might have a good product, but if you fail to market it, you cannot get people to patronize. Bella put in a lot of work, which is why she was able to draw a lot of people to the premiere,” Obiri-Tetteh said.
Bella Agyemang, on her part, expressed appreciation to fellow actors, her team, media personalities and all stakeholders who supported her effort ahead of the premiere.
The much-awaited star-studded Ghanaian comedy movie ‘Check-In’ premiered at Silverbird Cinemas on April 12, 2025.
The movie tells a story of chaos and a blackout at a secluded hotel, and amidst these, a resourceful attendant must unravel hidden connections between guests and restore peace before secrets tear them apart.
The movie, produced by Bella Agyemang, featured Kofi Okyere-Darko (KOD), Clemento Suarez, Jeneral Ntatia, Priscilla Opoku-Agyeman, Felicia Osei, Gideon Kojo Boakye, Clinton Odoi, Fiifi Jefferson Pratt, and Gabriel Hogan among others.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
