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Ghana's president self-isolates after close person tests positive for coronavirus

International Labour Organization's annual labour conference

ACCRA (Reuters) - Ghana's President Nana Akufo-Addo will self-isolate for 14 days on the advice of doctors after a person in his close circle tested positive for coronavirus, the government said in a statement late on Saturday.

"He has, as at today, tested negative, but has elected to take this measure out of the abundance of caution," the statement said, adding that the president will continue to work during the period, in compliance with COVID-19 safety protocols.

The statement did not say if the close person was a staff or family member.

Ghana has recorded 19,388 coronavirus cases, one of the highest number of cases in sub-Saharan Africa, with 117 deaths.

The West African nation's deputy trade and industry minister Carlos Kingsley Ahenkorah resigned on Friday for violating coronavirus self-isolation measures after he tested positive for the virus.

(Reporting by Christian Akorlie; Writing by Bate Felix; Editing by Daniel Wallis)