A total number of 55 people, including students at the Accra Girls’ Senior High School have tested positive for the coronavirus.
The notice was made known by the Ghana Health Service (GHS) after it commenced a testing exercise at the school.
According to a joint statement by the Ghana Health Service and the Ghana Education Service (GES), 55 people tested positive out of 314 total tests done.
“As at 13th July 2020, a total of 314 persons (student and staff) from the School have been tested. Out of these, 55 have been confirmed positive for COVID-19 while 259 persons tested negative,” the statement read.
The statement further indicated that all persons who have tested positive have been sent to treatment centres. The school earlier confirmed six positive cases amongst students last week. Later on, it was discovered that a teacher and his spouse had also tested positive for the disease. The situation sparked protest among student who insisted on going home.
At the same time, some parents had filled the school’s premises, demanding that their children be allowed to go home due to the risk of remaining at the school.
But school authorities and the government insisted that the school is better placed to manage the students and the risk associated with COVID-19 than being released to go home.
What about other schools?
Meanwhile, other schools across the country have also confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 but GHS and GES say those cases “have not experienced a surge,” as seen in Accra Girls’ SHS.
It has since announced several measures authorities have put in place in Accra Girls as well as other schools to curtail any further spread of COVID-19.
The measures include;
- Identification and segregation of contact from other students
- Sample collection and laboratory testing of all contacts identified and suspected cases
- All confirmed cases have been transferred to designated national treatment and isolation centres for management
- Restriction of number of students that attend dining at a particular time
- Enforcement of social distancing protocols, enhanced hand hygiene practices and the proper use of the facemask
- Disinfection of the entire school has been carried out
- Adequate PPEs have been provided to health staff stationed in the school
- Education on COVID-19 prevention and control has been intensified within the school
- Counselling and psychological support is being provided to the students
- The school has designated a quarantine and isolation centre
- Parents and guardians of affected student have been duly contacted
