Despite governments caution to various educational institutions to ensure the adherence to the COVID-19 safety protocols, some students in some schools have tested positive for the virus.
As of yesterday February 4, 2020, new cases recorded indicated that, about 39 cases were recorded from some educational institutions in the country.
Out of the 39 cases so far, nine are reported to be from the Bono Region of Ghana.
According to officials of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) in the Bono Region, nine students have tested positive for COVID-19. The students are reported to be from two Senior High Schools and a Teacher Training College in the region.
The Bono Regional Deputy Director for Public Health of the GHS, Dr John Ekow Otoo who revealed this in an interview said the infected students are in stable condition and are responding to treatment. He noted that contact tracing is currently ongoing in the schools.
He further cautioned the public to take the COVID-19 safety protocols seriously following the recent surge in the viral disease. Meanwhile, the region has recorded two additional deaths bringing the total number of people who have succumbed to the virus in the region to six.
Also, a total of twenty-nine persons have tested positive for covid-19 at Private school in the Asuogyaman District of the Eastern region.
This was after results of mass testing of students, teaching and non-teaching staff in school trickled in.
According to reports, the infected students and teachers have been quarantined in a hotel at Akosombo for management of their cases.
The Eastern Regional Health Director, Dr Winfred Ofosu confirmed the situation but did not disclose the name of the school adding that the Regional Health Directorate was yet to be furnished with a detailed report from the Asuogyaman District Health Directorate.
Prior to this outbreak in schools, Education think tank, the Africa Education Watch, warned of more Covid-19 cases in schools over the failure of the GES to enforce some safety protocols as well as not adopting a shift system in the schools.
The think tank said, the GES had failed to cap the number of students in a class after schools reopened last month and also questioned the failure of the GES not to enforce the shift system in schools to reduce the student population.
Executive Director of Africa Education Watch, Kofi Asare urged the GES to act on the confirmation that some schools have recorded some twenty cases of Covid-19.
“Teachers are hesitant in adapting the shift system because they are not sure whether they are going to be given an extra renumeration for working from morning till 4:30pm should they adapt the system. So, you go to schools and teachers are hesitant.
“And the GES is also not pushing it because it looks as if they don’t have money. Because of the indecision by the GES on the running of shift systems and the class caps, you are having a situation where Accra schools are very much congested.”
Ghana’s COVID-19 death toll has now hit 440, according to the latest figures by the Ghana Health Service.
A total of 696 new COVID-19 cases have also been recorded, shooting up the active cases to 6086. 497 persons have also recovered from the disease bringing the total number of recoveries to 62,729.
Currently, Ghana has 126 and 46 persons in severe and critical conditions respectively. A total of 788,526 tests have been conducted since the outbreak.
