Ghanaian sports journalist Gary Al-Smith receiving treatment after contracting COVID-19

Ghanaian sports journalist, Gary Al Smith has confirmed that he has tested positive for COVID-19.

In a series of tweets, Mr Al-Smith said he was “doing very well, and being well taken care of.”

He said his decision to speak out about his positive test was his way of helping fight the stigma associated with contracting the disease.

“After consultation with family, we’ve decided that from I speaking about my experience,” he said in his tweet.

“We believe this can be my small way of battling the stigmatization problem being faced by COVID-19 patients.”

He is one of 12, 929 people confirmed by the Ghana Health Service to have contracted the disease since the first positive test was reported in March.

4,468 people have however since recovered while 66 people have died.

Gary Al-Smith is one of five people to have contracted the disease at the Multimedia Group following recent tests.

The company said it had “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,” the company added.

Globally, over 8 million people have tested positive for the disease with just under half a million deaths.

A number of people have offered messages of support to Gary Al-Smith on social media, including gospel musician, Nii Okai, UK High Commissioner to Ghana Iain Walker and fellow sports journalist, Saddick Adams.