The General Secretary of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA), Dr. Justice Yankson has entreated school authorities to ensure that students do not flout the COVID-19 safety protocols.
Speaking during an interview, Dr. Yankson intimated that, there is the need for extra vigilance in schools to avoid a surge in cases as the nation is experiencing now.
His comment comes on the back of some schools last week, recording quite a high number of COVID-19 cases despite the safety protocols and effective preventive measures directed them by the Ghana Health Service (GHS) after the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo-Addo directed the reopening of schools.
Dr Yankson said the wearing of nose masks should strictly be done while observing other protocols. He then reiterated the need for all, especially students, to adhere to the COVID-19 safety protocols, saying this follows confirmed cases of COVID-19 in some schools.
Dr. Yankson also called for intensified public education on the virus and appealed to government to provide adequate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to schools.
However, the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the GMA Dr. Paa Kwasi Baidoo, also proposed schools in the country to be shut down in order to control the rising spread of Coronavirus in the country. He said, the call comes in the wake of increasing fatalities among COVID patients in the country.
“With the evidence available now, I will not hesitate to say that let’s close or suspend schools. We can test the children, send those who test negative home and keep those who test positive, and manage them. Ghana will not be the only country where they’ve opened schools and closed them because of COVID-19. So, there should be a national discussion on what threshold we hit before we close down schools”.
Speaking on the increase in the number of cases in the country within these few weeks, Dr. Paa Kwasi Baidoo cautioned that, the rate of infections will get out of hand, if immediate measures are not adopted.
Touching on avenues aiding the spread of the virus, he also noted drinking spots and bars in the country have become one of the ‘super spreaders’ of the virus.
“One difficulty we have is the drinking spots, bars, and pubs. These are super spreader activities but they tell you it’s an open space. But we’ve recorded cases where people went out drinking with friends.”
Ghana’s COVID-19 active cases has hit 6,707, following the confirmation of 795 new infections across the country, according to the latest update from the Ghana Health Service (GHS).
Additionally, eight more persons have succumbed to the virus, raising the death toll to 472 from a previous 464. The new infections, the GHS said, are from tests conducted as at February 08, 2021. The latest update further disclosed that 700 more people have also recovered, bringing the total of clinical recoveries and discharge to 65,149.
Currently, 112 of the active cases are severe with 32 in critical condition. These cases are being managed in treatment sites, isolation centres across the country, while some were under home management. Ghana has so far recorded a total of 72,328 cases of the virus since it confirmed its first two cases in March 2020.
