A total of five Senior High Schools (SHS) in the Western Region have recorded COVID-19 cases, the Western Regional Director of Health, Dr. Jacob Mahama has said.
“Western Region has recorded some COVID-19 cases. About five schools, each has one case but Nsei SHS in Axim has eight cases. Archbishop Porter Girls too, we had one case but there are other cases which results haven’t come yet.”
According to the Public Relations Officer of the Western Regional Education Service, Kate Biney said that they have two suspected cases from two schools.
“I know that Ahantaman Girls has recorded a suspected case and Archbishop Porter Girls also has one suspected case who showed the signs and have been isolated. Nsei, Diabene and Adiembra, I will have to check.”
Information so far has revealed that headteachers of these schools including Archbishop Porter Girls have been unavailable for comment.
On the part of the government, it has deployed 200 personnel, including persons from the Ghana Education (GES) Service and the Ghana Health Service (GHS) to monitor the COVID-19 situation in various Senior High Schools after six students, a teacher and the spouse at the Accra Girls SHS tested positive for the virus.
The GES and GHS in the statement said the personnel have been actively spread out across the country for the task to ensure that the schools do not become hotspots for the spread of the virus.
“A team of 200 personnel, drawn from the Ghana Education Service, Ghana Health Service, the Regional and District Directorates of Education are actively spread out all over the country and are monitoring the situation closely.”
“Further, all health institutions to which senior high schools have been mapped with health facilities to ensure that any suspected cases are promptly dealt with in accordance with the laid down protocols,” the joint statement noted.
Government has also said it is tracking suspected cases of COVID-19 cases in some schools.
As it stands now, Ghana’s COVID-19 case count pegs at 23,834 with clinical recoveries of 19,212. Unfortunately, deaths count stands at 135, leaving a total of 4,487 active cases.
Calls made by Educational bodies
Meanwhile, the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) has called on the government to as a matter of urgency, conduct mass testing in schools that have so far recorded cases of COVID-19.
GNAT, along with other teacher unions and observers, had initially proposed mass testing before school resumed on June 22, 2020. But the government consistently argued that there was no feasibility in conducting mass testing.
