The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has intimated that the country is expecting more oxygen plants by August 19 to provide life-saving support to severe cases of COVID-19 admissions.
Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, the Director-General of GHS, who made this announcement at a presser to update the public on the Coronavirus in Accra today, Wednesday, August 5, 2021 stated that, it has installed the recent oxygen plants it received at the Ga East Hospital to support persons with severe cases.
He added that the Service has received 300 ultra-negative fridges to help store different types of COVID-19 vaccines for easy distribution to the regions and districts.
Each region, he said, has received two of the ultra-negative refrigerator vans whilst UPS donated 16 oxygen plants to fight the virus.
3 new regions now COVID hotspots
According to the Dr. Kumah- Aboagye, Volta, Bono and Bono East Regions are emerging as new hotspots for the Coronavirus infections, especially the Delta Variant.
He added that the Greater Accra and Ashanti Regions still remain the traditional hotspots.
“For instance, the Volta Region, which previously recorded 16 active cases on July 1, had recorded 532 cases as at August 1, while the figures for the Bono Region increased from eight cases to 200 and Bono East from three to 178.”
Dr. Kumah-Aboagye
Dr Kuma-Aboagye further told the media that, 79 per cent of all Covid-19 cases in the Greater Accra Region were from the Delta Variant.
He said the Delta Variant, which had higher transmission rate and severe disease burden, was becoming dominant and as such called for stricter enforcement of the safety protocols to prevent escalation of the virus.
He further indicated that, the situation had resulted in increased workplace and school infections, with active cases increasing from 1,600 to over 6,000 within a month.
Active COVID-19 cases now 6,766
According to the GHS, the current active cases stood at 6,766 with 854 deaths as at August 1, 2021.
“The current trajectory of cases with still low adherence to Covid-19 safety protocols pose a significant risk of a higher third wave. Average cases per day is likely to increase with the attendant increase in severe and critical cases.
“The potential for a negative impact of the outbreak on all sectors is very high, therefore, aggressive efforts at reversing the trend is needed.”
Dr. Kumah-Aboagye
The Greater Accra Region now has 272 hospital admissions out of which 36 are critical, 87 severe and 107 mild to moderate cases.
On school infections, he said 404 schools have recorded positive cases of the virus with 2,864 cumulative positive cases and 304 active cases.
Speaking at the testing regime at the Airport for incoming passengers to help mitigate the spread, Dr. Kumah Aboagye stated that the procedure is still being followed and have not been let loose as being claimed.
He further explained that after the PCR test from the samples taken at the airport indicate a positive sample, a retest is done to further confirm the status of the passenger.
“After that you will be sent to a holding room for a doctor there to further check if you are sick, are there asymptomatic signs and all that.”
Dr. Kumah-Aboagye
