Tag: coronavirus in Ghana

The Western Regional Director of Veterinary Service, Dr Simon Gbene, has opined that the police service alone cannot ensure compliance with the COVID-19 safety protocols when there is mass disobedience to these protocols.

According to him, the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic requires collective effort and as such making the enforcement of the laws on COVID-19 the sole responsibility of the police will make the fight ineffective.

Dr Gbene told Samuel Eshun on the Happy Morning Show: “When there is mass disobedience it will be very difficult for any enforcement. We must all understand that COVID-19 is not a one-person fight. If we understand it that way then it can work because the police alone cannot ensure compliance. We must continue to educate and involve the community leaders, the assemblymen, the unit committee, and the chiefs. I think this time we have to bring everybody on board. But if we leave it to the law enforcement alone then we are going to see what we are seeing now”.

He furthered just like any other persons, the police are also humans who can get discouraged by anything or anyone and as such mass disobedience to the safety, protocols is something that can discourage them, thereby, making the enforcement of the laws difficult.

He charged the media to “intensify their education” on the COVID-19 protocols to encourage compliance to the safety protocols.

“So this time, I will rather call on the media to intensify their education this is because if the compliance is not there and there is mass disobedience this is what we will see”, he added.

In his 22nd COVID-19 update to the nation President Akufo-Addo, ordered the Inspector General of Police, Mr James Oppong-Boanuh, to strictly enforce the mandatory wearing of nose masks among the populace as the nation continues to grapple with the Coronavirus pandemic.

The police in Ghana within 24 hours after the order was made arrested hundreds of people across the country for flouting the health protocol measures instituted to fight the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Source: Happy 98.9FM

Mr. David Kunta, Adansi Asokwa District Director of Health Services, has expressed worry about the low education on the covid-19 among school children in the District.

He has therefore charged teachers in the District to use a few minutes every morning to educate the pupils on the coronavirus pandemic and its effects to enable them to acquire the needed knowledge and appreciate the importance of adhering to the safety protocols.

Mr. Kunta made the call when a joint team from the district health and education directorates toured some basic schools to observe and monitor the implementation of covid-19 safety protocols in the schools.

He was worried about how some school children wore dirty nose masks and advised parents to try as much as possible to wash the nose masks of their children when they returned from school.

Mr. Kunta said schools had been linked to health facilities in the District to help address and contain possible suspected covid-19 cases in schools in the area.

Mr. Kwame Oduro Owusu, District Director of Education, noted that his outfit was working closely with the District Health Directorate to ensure that the covid-19 did not enter any school in the District.

He said the visit to the schools was to ensure that all the COVID-19 safety protocols were strictly observed by pupils and teachers as well as community members.

Mr. Oduro Owusu stressed the need for community members to undertake self-help projects to rehabilitate dilapidated classroom blocks in their communities.

He also appealed to parents to support their children with furniture to help address furniture challenges in some of the schools.

Source: GNA

146 positive cases of the coronavirus pandemic have been recorded in some schools in six regions in the country.

The Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Patrick Kumah Aboagye who disclosed this at a media briefing said so far, there have been no fatality or recoveries.

It has been more than two weeks, since President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo announced the reopening of all levels of schools, after almost a year of closure, due to COVID-19.

A total of 146 cases of the virus have been recorded in some schools across the country. The eastern region has 83 cases in 1 school, greater Accra has Fifty (56) cases in some 23 schools, and the central region with 8 cases in some 3 schools.

23 schools in Greater Accra has so far reported 56 cases and no fatality. And I must say that parents are duly been informed,” Dr. Kuma Aboagye stated.

Currently, the Senior Secondary Schools with the largest hotspots are within the Upper West, Western, Greater Accra, and Eastern regions.

Meanwhile, the Ghana health service says there is a surge in the number of workplace infections as it urges compliance with the safety protocols.

The service is also recording a decline in cases among new arrivals at the Kotoka International Airport.

The pandemic has claimed 482 lives, with 6,938 active cases.

Source: 3 News

Five boarding students at the Koforidua Technical Institute (KOTECH) have tested positive for the deadly coronavirus.

Ghanaweb’s enquires from a source in the school indicates that the infected students are currently being quarantined in an isolation centre on the campus.

According to the source, who pleaded anonymity, contact tracing is vigorously being embarked upon to test all who came into contact with the five cases on campus and outside the campus.

The source said that after a week of school reopening, 25 of the students complained of being ill and the school nurse checked their vitals.

The source said the results indicated the five students involving four girls and one boy had high temperatures.

“Periodic checking showed a continuous rise in the students’ temperature. The only male among the five suddenly became very sick and took exeat to go home.

“The four female students have been quarantined and receiving treatment on campus,” the source added.

Ghanaweb has also gathered that a number of the Senior High Schools in the Eastern Region have recorded positive Covid-19 cases but are strongly ensuring that no information about it gets to the public.

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

Dr George Nyarko, the Akatsi South Municipal Director of Health Services has disclosed that the Municipality has recorded two new confirmed cases of COVID-19.

Dr Nyarko told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that the two confirmed cases were received out of 14 samples sent by the Akatsi South Municipal Health Directorate for testing.

He disclosed that the two active cases are all males, who are inmates of the Akatsi Police cells going through investigations for some offenses they committed.

Dr Nyarko added that a team of health officials took samples from the remaining inmates as well as Police officers for testing.

He, however, appealed to every individual in the Municipality to remain calm as they worked to stem the spread of the virus.

Dr Nyarko also called for urgent attention and strict adherence with the safety protocols announced by President Akufo-Addo and the Ministry of Health.

The two confirmed cases the GNA learnt, were placed in isolation at the Akatsi Municipal hospital for medical attention.

As of January 28, Ghana recorded 62,751 confirmed cases with 58,561 recoveries/discharge and 377 deaths.

There are now 3,813 active cases in the country and 109 cases in the Volta region.

Source: GNA

Emergency Operation Centres (EOCs) in Ashanti, Western and Northern Regions are set to receive a massive boost as part of a project to strengthen them to effectively respond to public health emergencies.

The project dubbed, “Enhanced Strategies to Protect and Improve Health Security in Ghana (ESPIHS-GH) will among other things, build the capacities of the workforce in EOCs in beneficiary regions.

It also seeks to improve six thematic areas including; national laboratory systems, surveillance, workforce development, emergency management and response, international health regulations and service delivery.

This came to light at a meeting between the Technical Working Group and members of the Public Health Emergency Management Committee in Ashanti ahead of a site visit to assess the centre in Ashanti region and its readiness for emergencies and how best to improve the facility.

With funding from the United States Centre for Disease Control (US- CDC), the objective of the project is to improve public health capacity in addressing core global health security priorities.

Dr. Ernest Kanu of the School of Public Health, University of Ghana, who is leading the project, said the outbreak of the Novel SARS-COV-02 exposed the gaps in health systems across the globe, which required investment in areas such as surveillance, laboratory, emergency operations and workforce.

He said field epidemiologists would support the regional public health management systems through mentorship under the project to make them vibrant and responsive to potential public health threats.

Procurement of basic equipment and supplies for the operationalization of the EOCs, he said, would be given priority, adding that, the project would also develop an EOC implementation guideline in line with national legislation.

Epidemiologists would also be deployed to help with analysis and interpretation of surveillance data and augment epidemiology workforce capacity at the regional levels.

“We want to make sure when the COVID data is collected, we can see and take decisions on it in real-time. Already the country is doing that but we want to make it better and stronger with the help of US-CDC”, he stated.

He praised the Ashanti Regional Health Directorate for the update provided on the regional EOC, saying that, the team was in the region to assess the centre and fill in the gaps that would be identified after the assessment.

Dr. Emmanuel Tinkorang, the Regional Director of Health Services welcomed the initiative to strengthen the centre and pledged the cooperation of the directorate to improve public health emergencies in the region.

He said such partnership between the Ghana Health Service and its partners was critical in addressing the health needs of the people.

“We need to have real-time data to take informed decisions on some of the cases we are seeing and I think building the capacity of the staff in terms of surveillance, laboratory support and case management and risk communication is a step in the right direction”, he observed.

Source: My News GH

More than 32 deaths have been recorded in Ghana from COVID-19 related diseases between January 1 and 24, this year, Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, announced on Monday.

He said the third phase of COVID-19 surge in the country was very severe and deadly than the surges in July and September last year.

Currently, 372 persons have succumbed to the Coronavirus disease since Ghana recorded its first case on March 12, last year.

The active cases have increased from 800 to 3,613 as of January 22, 2021, with 62,135 cumulative cases.

Giving an update on the spread of COVID-19 during a media briefing in Accra on Monday, Dr Kumah-Aboagye said due to the severity of the new wave of infections, the GHS will soon begin Antigen testing in suspected outbreaks in schools and workplaces.

Additionally, Antigen test would be used in hospitals when health workers there had been exposed to the virus, and also use it in selected health facilities.

At the moment, Antigen Test is used at the country’s airport and produce Covid-19 test results within 30 minutes.

Dr Kumah-Aboagye said public health facilities would now offer 24-hour service and intensify Contact Tracing using public transport system like Bolt.

He advised the management of companies and organizations in the country to decongest staff at their workplaces and use virtual services instead.

Dr Kumah-Aboagye urged the public to comply with the preventive and safety protocols as well as the wearing of nose masks.

He said the entire West African Subregion was experiencing an upsurge in COVID-19 infections, noting that the new COVID-19 variants detected in Ghana were similar to those found in South Africa and the United Kingdom.

However, he said, the nation is yet to confirm a community spread of the new COVID-19 variants as genome sequencing is still ongoing.

He entreated the GHS and the media to continue collaborating in educating the public on the threat posed by the virus to improve compliance with the safety rules.

Source: GNA

Six more people have died from COVID-19 in Ghana with the death toll now 367, according to the Ghana Health Service.

Active cases have also jumped to 3,286 with 679 cases recorded.

Ghana has so far recorded a total of 60,794 cases with 57,141 recoveries and discharges.

Meanwhile, more than 25 million cases of coronavirus have now been confirmed across the United States.

Experts say the true number is likely to be higher. More than 417,500 in the US have died from the virus.

The daily number of deaths has exceeded 4,000 in recent weeks including on Wednesday when Joe Biden was sworn into office.

Cumulative Cases per Region

(Case Count from Highest to Lowest)

Greater Accra Region  34,740

Ashanti Region  11,687

Western Region  3,270

Eastern Region  2,704

Central Region  2,215

Volta Region  848

Bono East Region  796

Western North Region  689

Bono Region  645

Northern Region  620

Ahafo Region  537

Upper East Region  502

Oti Region  244

Upper West Region  152

Savannah Region  62

North East Region  25

Source: Starr FM

Wisconsin International University College, Ghana, has debunked news report of a “looming outbreak” of COVID-19 on its campuses, which it describes as mischievous and misleading.

According to the management of the University, there has been no reported case of COVID-19 at any of its campuses since the outbreak of the virus in 2020.

“Contrary to news making rounds of a “looming outbreak” of COVID-19 at Wisconsin International University College, Management of the University wishes to bring to the attention of all that there has been no reported case of COVID-19 at any of the Wisconsin International University College campuses in either Accra or Kumasi since the outbreak of the disease early last year,” the Univesity said in a statement signed by its Registrar.

According to the University, it has achieved this as a result of the strict adherence to all the laid down safety precautions and protocols outlined by the Ghana Health Service (GHS) and World Health Organization (WHO).

The management, however, assured members of the public that adequate measures including handwashing and sanitiser use, compulsory wearing of face mask, and a COVID-19 monitoring team, have been put in place to curtail any possible outbreak of the disease on its campuses.

The University further indicated that it is “investigating the source of a false DAILY POST newspaper report” and will update the public in due course.

Source: Kuulpeeps

The acting Municipal Chief Executive for Suhum in the Eastern Region Margeret Darko on Wednesday January 20, 2021 lividly ordered for immediate opening of a three unit classroom block at Akote a community in the Municipality.

This was after Students of Akote M/A Junior High School were seen learning in the corridor of the newly constructed classroom block which was locked awaiting commissioning and handing over.

The classroom block constructed by Kakem Construction limited was completed in December 2020 which the contractor handed over the keys to the Municipal engineer who was keeping the keys while the students and teachers were struggling to have classroom for academic work.

This compelled the first batch of the Junior High School students supposed to occupy the facility to learn in the corridor.

The students carry their own benches and plastic chairs from home to school daily.

When Starr News Eastern Regional Correspondent Kojo Ansah contacted the headteacher she said the facility was yet to be handed over and opened for use.

The Municipal Chief Executive for Suhum Margaret Darko upon hearing the situation ordered that the facility be opened for the students to use.

She told Starr news that she was unaware of the situation and blamed the Municipal engineer for the mishaps.

Source: Starr FM

Dr Anthony Nsiah-Asare, Presidential Adviser on Health at the Presidency, says the introduction of COVID-19 vaccine into the country would be based on its effectiveness, access, affordability, availability and deployment.

He recalled that Ghana recorded its first case of COVID-19 on 12 March 2020 and since then the disease had continued to spread with the country currently having an established community transmission.

Dr Nsiah-Asare said cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in all regions of the country with the Greater Accra Region as the epicentre of the outbreak in Ghana, recording the highest numbers and severity of the disease.

“As at 16th January 2021, the country had recorded a total of 58,431 positive cases, with 55,899 of these having recovered and discharged, with 2,174 active cases with 134 in severe and critical conditions,” Dr Nsiah-Asare stated in his presentation at the ongoing 72nd Annual New Year School and Conference on the theme: “Building Ghana in the Face of Global Health Crises.”

“Sadly over the period, we have lost 358 Ghanaians,” he said.

Dr Nsiah-Asare said over the last three weeks, there had been a surge in the number of active cases, with an average daily rate of about 200 new cases.

He noted that aside from those with a history of recent travels, most had contracted the virus whilst attending funerals, parties, without wearing the mandatory facemask.

Dr Nsiah-Asare said Ghana was presently embarking on a strategic, controlled, progressive, safe easing of restrictions on Public gatherings to get the lives of the people and the economy back to normal.

He expressed concerned that in recent times, relatively younger patients were succumbing to the disease with a sudden surge in new cases.

Dr Nsiah-Asare said Government was managing the situation and had just directed schools to reopen was also considering the re-opening of land and sea borders to human traffic.

He said Government was initiating agenda 111 programme for the construction of 101 District Hospitals, seven regional hospitals in the six new regions and Western regions, two psychiatric hospitals in Kumasi and Tamale and renovating and equipping of Effia Nkwanta Hospital.

The School is being organised by the School of Continuing and Distance Education, College of Education, University of Ghana.

The Annual New Year School and Conference since its inception in 1948, has been the flagship programme of the University, which always opens at the beginning of the New Year.

Source: GNA

A number of students and pupils at the Dormaa Municipal Assembly Junior High School have expressed varied opinions over fears of catching the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19).

While others said they had doubts if their parents could take care of them if they were infected with the virus, others strongly dismissed those fears with the assurance and confidence that by strictly adhering to required protocols taught them by their parents they would be safe, protected and contain the virus.

They told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in separate interviews at Dormaa-Ahenkro in the Dormaa Central Municipality of the Bono Region.

Master Henry Ankamah, a 12-year old primary five pupil at the school stated his mother had taught him how to observe social distancing that “I must not play with friends in a group close together, as there can be someone who can infect me with the disease.

“My mother told me not to shake hands with or embrace anybody, but must always apply hand sanitiser, alongside washing my hands with soap under running water”, Kofi Asante, aged 12 and also primary five pupils added.

The GNA observed most of the students and pupils did not wear face masks because of either keeping them in their pockets or did not have some.

Source: GNA

The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has disclosed the new strain of the COVID-19 pandemic has a higher and faster infection rate as compared to the first strain.

The Director of Health Promotion at the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr. Dacosta Aboagye, has shared that the new strain of the virus is transmitted between fifty to seventy (50-70) times faster.

According to him, Ghana has recorded cases of two different strains of the virus. One from the United Kingdom and another from South Africa.

“Both variants spread very fast and I am thinking they have the same symptoms as the first version of the virus. But, the only difference is that the transmission is very fast. The new variants travel between 50-70 times faster than the normal ones we know of”.

He noted that the different strains were imported into the country via the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) but these individuals were put under isolation.

“We all know that with the reopening of our borders, we required anyone coming into the country to come along with a PCR test from their country of origin, and upon their arrival to Ghana, they undergo the antigen test and asked to self isolate.

“However, we recently changed our policy a bit and insisted that anyone who tested positive for COVID-19 will be housed in our facilities for a second test”.

Dr. Dacosta noted that for the second test, the positive cases were put through genetic sequencing and that was when “we noticed they were infected with the new variants from the UK and South Africa”.

The Director of Health Promotion at the GHS assured the populace the positive cases of the new variants are receiving treatment in isolation and treatment centers under the Ghana Health Service.

Background

Information from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) suggests multiple COVID-19 variants are circulating globally.

In the United Kingdom (UK), a new variant called B.1.1.7 has emerged with an unusually large number of mutations. This variant spreads more easily and quickly than other variants.

This variant was first detected in September 2020 and is now highly prevalent in London and southeast England. It has since been detected in numerous countries around the world, including the United States and Canada.

In South Africa, another variant called 1.351 has emerged independently of the variant detected in the UK. This variant, originally detected in early October, shares some mutations with the variant detected in the UK. There have been cases caused by this variant outside of South Africa, but it has not been detected in the US.

In Brazil, a variant called P.1 emerged and was identified in four travelers from Brazil, who were tested during routine screening at Haneda airport outside Tokyo, Japan. This variant contains a set of additional mutations that may affect its ability to be recognized by antibodies.

These variants seem to spread more easily and quickly than other variants, which may lead to more cases of COVID-19. Currently, there is no evidence that these variants cause more severe illness or increased risk of death.

However, an increase in the number of cases will put more strain on health care resources, lead to more hospitalizations, and potentially more deaths.

Source: Happy 98.9FM

Mr. Simon Assum-Ahensah, the Headmaster of Rombless Academy Primary School in the Sunyani Municipality on Monday said the school has prioritised social distancing as an effective remedy to contain the spread of the COVID-19.

He told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview at Kuotokrom, a community in the Municipality that the school was religiously complying with all health and safety protocols, including wearing of nose masks, as well as handwashing with soap under running by pupils and teachers.

“We also check the body temperatures of teachers and pupils before they are allowed to enter the classrooms”, he added.

Mr. Assum-Ahensah expressed appreciation to parents for the high school enrolment, and assured of the safety of their children while in the school environment.

He also praised parents for providing their children with nose masks and hand sanitizers to protect them from a possible contraction of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mr. Assum-Ahensah said the number of kindergarten pupils registered for “my first day at school was high”, and advised parents to visit the school regularly to know the academic performance of their children.

Mrs. Beatrice Fosuah, the Proprietress of the school, commended parents for preparing their children to resume school and assured them that all necessary measures had been put in place to prevent any outbreak of the COVID-19 virus in the school.

Source: GNA

Mr. Maxwell Kofi Asiedu, Kadjebi District Chief Executive (DCE), has called on students to observe the COVID-19 safety protocols especially, the wearing of face masks since the COVID-19 virus would be with the population for a long time.

He said the masks serve as a shield against person-to-person infection of a virus believed to be airborne and contaminates through cough, sneeze or speaking.

Mr. Asiedu made these remarks when he visited and addressed students of Kadjebi E.P Central Junior High School (JHS) at Kadjebi in the Oti Region as schools re-opened for academic work on Monday.

He urged the students to psyche themselves up to wear masks always, practice social distancing and avoid stigmatisation to help curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mr. Asiedu advised the students to regularly and thoroughly wash their hands with soap under running water as a preventive measure in the containment of the disease.

He also admonished the students to learn hard, to justify the investment government and their parents were making on them.

Mr. Asiedu said education empowered an individual to attain higher height and thus advised them to marry their books.

The Headmistress of E.P Central JHS, Madam Gifty Obeng, called on parents to teach their wards on adherence to COVID-19 safety protocols since the battle against the pandemic could only be won through concerted efforts.

She also admonished the populace to adhere to the World Health Organisation and Ghana Health Service preventive and safety protocols in order not to contract the disease.

Other schools visited include Dzindziso D/A Primary and JHS, Dzindziso E.P Primary and JHS, Menuso E.P Primary and JHS, Kadjebi R.C Primary and JHS, among others.

Source: GNA

Professor Joseph Osafo, Head of Psychology at University of Ghana, has called on schools to set up a COVID-19 Compliance Committee to assist students and pupils in observing the COVID-19 protocols.

Schools across the country officially began today after 10 months closure due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo announced, during his 21st update on the pandemic, the resumption of kindergarten, Junior and Senior High Schools and tertiary institutions.

Kindergarten and JHS were to resume on Friday, January 15 but, according to the Ghana Education Service (GES), the schools are to officially open on Monday, January 18 with clean-up exercises.

Although schools have reopened, there are worries over the little children in adhering to the COVID-19 safety protocols as some fear the children might be exposed to the disease.

To put the matter to rest, Prof. Joseph Osafo has suggested a solution.

According to him, the various schools should have Compliance Committee whose duty will be to go round the school classrooms and campuses, particularly during break hours, to ensure the students and pupils are indeed wearing their nose masks and also taking all the precautionary measures to curb the spread of the disease.

”You will have to continuously monitor them…I don’t know what the teachers will do but my thinking and my suggestion is that schools should have certain Committees that are COVID-19 Compliance Committee. This means in some schools, they have security or people who whilst teaching is ongoing or school is on break, they can authorize the children to wear their masks. It can help because once they’re playing, teachers may not be around”, he told host Nana Yaw Kesseh on Peace FM’s ”Kokrokoo”.

He also charged the schools to help the government by taking up the challenge to be innovative.

”Teachers and schools will have to be very innovative…Every school should see this as a challenge and opportunity.”

Source: Peace FM

Dr Senanu Kwesi Djokoto, Deputy Volta Regional Director, in-Charge of Public Health, says the Region has recorded a total of 37 cases of COVID-19 pandemic in the past two weeks with one death.

He said Ho has 19 cases, South Tongu eight cases, Hohoe five cases, North Tongu two cases while Ketu South and Ketu North have one case each.

Dr Djokoto in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) said out of the 37 new cases recorded, 33 were mild while four were moderately ill, and were being taken care of at the treatment centres.

He said they had begun contact tracing of all the cases to ensure that people who came into contact with them were identified, tested, and “if necessary quarantined until they are negative.”

Dr Djokoto said the Region, since the inception of the outbreak of the pandemic in the country, had recorded a total of 807 cases, with 758 recoveries and 13 deaths.

The Deputy Director said the recent spike in the cases was as a result of citizens’ relaxation in adherence to the safety protocols, disclosing that the Region had no active case about a month ago.

He lamented the total disregard for the safety and preventive protocols in some parts of the Region as people went about without their masks on and not observing social distancing.

Dr Djokoto admonished citizens to continue to observe the laid down safety and preventive measures to stem the spread of the disease as “we are beginning to see a trend where young people without any underlying health conditions dying from COVID-19.”

He said health facilities were equipped to enable nurses and doctors to respond timely and effectively to the cases with routine surveillance also ongoing in all Municipal and District Assemblies as well as the borders.

Dr Djokoto said the Region currently had treatment centres in Ho, Battor, Hohoe, Aflao, and Adidome and Intensive Care Unit to deal with the situation.

He called on all to adhere to the protocols of hand hygiene, wearing of masks, and social distancing as a collective effort required to ensure that the recent trend was reversed to avoid any imposition of social restrictions.

Source: Ghana Guardian

Dr Franklin Asiedu-Bokoe, Director of Public Health of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) says the Service will support the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR) to look into alleged falsification of COVID-19 test results.

He said the Service was monitoring the development and would allow the Institute to carry out its investigations to confirm the validity of the certificate of the COVID-19 test results displayed on social media.

The Director of Public Health said the GHS would, however, assist the Institute by looking into records at the Kotoka International Airport to find out if the name displayed on the alleged results certification from NMIMR went through the system and check its initial results.

“From what I know, it will be very difficult to buy such a certificate from Ghana unless you fake it,” he said.

Mr Asiedu-Bokoe described the allegation as an eye-opener for all and said it was important for the Institute to take a look at its systems.

The Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (MIMR) on Sunday said it has begun investigations into alleged falsification of COVID-19 test results at the Institute, following reports on social media claiming breaches of the COVID-19 testing protocols.

The Institute in a statement issued by Professor Abraham Kwabena Anang, Director of NMIMR, assured that the allegation was being treated with “grave seriousness.“

The statement said, aside from the Institute’s internal investigations, external investigations would be conducted by National Security, which was in discussions with the Coordinator of the National Network of COVID-19 testing Laboratories.

Source: GNA

The Head of Corporate Finance at Fidelity Bank, Leornard Gikunu who is credited with key contribution to the economy of Ghana via the Energy Sector Levies Act (ESLA) has passed on in what insiders say is COVID-19 related.

The top banker reportedly died over the weekend from Covid-19 complication only hours before National Security Coordinator Joshua Kyeremeh also passed on from same.

Friends who eulogize say he is a “very brilliant chap who designed the ESLA Bond financing program from scratch to finance the BDC indebtedness to the banks”.

Again, friends say the former Director of Corporate Banking built the same petroleum finance loan book for the bank. He is a chartered accountant, a Chevening scholar and a first-class BSc Admin student from the University of Ghana.

MyNewsGh.com wishes to advise the general public to observe all Covid-19 protocols and prioritize their safety in these times.

Source: My News GH

Fifteen staff of the War Memorial Hospital of the Upper East Region at Navrongo have tested positive of the coronavirus with one male nurse dead.

According to the Kassena Nankana Municipal Chairman of the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwifery Association (GRNMA), Mr. Habib Mahama, the male nurse died on Friday whiles working at the Paediatric Unit of the hospital.

It is against this development, that Mr. Mahama is admonishing for mass testing of the staff of the hospital to halt the spread of the virus amongst other colleagues.

The Ghanaian Times newspaper reports that the GRNMA Chairman has asked that the hospital be closed to undergo the fumigation exercise.

He added that the GRNMA of the Kassena Nankena municipality was yet to know how the staff members were responding to treatment.

Mr. Mahama additionally admonished all to conform to all safety protocols to help curb the spread of the virus in the Navrongo municipality and called on the general public to keep themselves safe.

He asked that all municipal authorities provide the appropriate facilities to these staff to prevent them from being victims of the virus.

Dr. Emmanuel Dzortsi of the Upper East Regional Health Directorate confirmed 39 cases of COVID-19 in the Kassena- Nankana Municipality.

The report by the Regional Director and his team said 22 out of the number were females, with 17 being males, and specified that two of the females were less than 15 years of age, whiles three were between the ages of 15 to 24 years.

Seven were between 25 to 34 years, four between 35 to 44 years, two between 45 and 59 years with the other four above 59 years.

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

A former Health Minister Dr. Kwaku Afriyie has maintained that there is no science or facts to show that Ghana recorded cases of coronavirus during the campaign period.

Although he described the decision by political parties to hold rallies before the elections as irresponsible and a terrible risk, there is no data to show that Ghana had cases recorded during the rallies, he has stressed.

Speaking to Kwabena Agyapong on Rainbow Radio 87.5FM, he explained that the incubation period of the virus which is two weeks does not give room for this argument to be true.

He said the politically related activities were outdoor and the transmission spreads through enclosed spaces.

Dr. Afriyie said any activity done outdoor does not necessarily spread the virus.

He told host Kwabena Agyapong that his position is not political but based on facts and science.

He noted that the increase in our recent cases was from weddings, parties, and other activities.

The Ghana Health Service is currently recording, on average, two hundred (200) new cases of COVID infections daily.

The number of patients requiring hospitalisation and intensive care is also rising.

In his 22nd national address on the outbreak, the President said two weeks ago, there was no critical case, we now have thirty-three (33) in our treatment facilities.

National Security Coordinator dead

“Again, according to statistics from the Ghana Health Service, the considerable number of persons who are severely ill are, surprisingly, relatively youthful persons, with no previous underlying health conditions. The number of confirmed deaths has increased, sadly, from three hundred and thirty-eight (338) persons to three hundred and fifty-two (352) within the period”.

According to him, “detailed investigations of the cases indicate that, apart from arriving passengers at our airport who tested positive, infected persons have recent histories of attending parties, weddings, end of year office programmes, family get-togethers, and funerals. At these gatherings, most of them abandoned the use of the masks, and were engaged in actions that led to them contracting the virus.”

This assertion has generated mixed reactions from Ghanaians with some describing it as misleading.

A section of the public expressed shock that the president failed to mention political rallies.

However, Dr. Afriyie says there is no cause for alarm because there is no science to support the argument.

“I am not being political but I am speaking as a medical professional. It can never be that the election period led to cases of the virus.”

He insisted that when you work the date, you cannot blame the political activities for our spike in cases.

He said those disagreeing with his position should provide the evidence to support their claims.

Source: rainbowradioonline.com

The Executive Secretary of Ghana First Platform, Nana Adjoa Ackom-Mensah, has opined that Ghanaians are not taking the protocols and safety measures on the COVID-19 seriously.

As someone who tested positive for the deadly virus and went into self-isolation, she is advocating for Ghanaians to adhere strictly to the safety protocols because the virus is real.

Speaking to Kwabena Agyapong on Rainbow Radio 87.5Fm, she said she mistook the virus for malaria and was self-medicating until she did the test and realized it was COVID-19.

She indicated that it is not an experience she would wish for anyone because it is terrible.

According to her, despite adhering to the safety protocols, she contacted the virus hence it would be dangerous for people to ignore the safety protocols.

Nana Adjoa Ackom-Mensah said “We have to take the safety protocols seriously. The experience for me was very bad. I thought I had malaria and was self-medicating until my test came out positive. We have to take the virus seriously. A lot of Ghanaians are not wearing their face masks. We have to follow the protocols. Everyone is at risk. We have to take our life into our own hands and be safe.”

Source: rainbowradioonline.com

President of the GMA, Dr. Frank Ankobea, has denied claims made by The Chronicle newspaper that he projected that the country could go into a total lockdown due to the rising numbers of COVID-19 cases.

He said although it is evident that the cases in the country have started rising again, he has however never made any such statement anywhere.

According to a story on the front page of The Chronicle newspaper’s Wednesday, January 13, 2021, titled, “Total lockdown imminent – GMA Prez,” the paper’s Sebastian R. Freiku reported that the GMA boss “has hinted of a possible total lockdown in the country.”

The story went on to indicate that “personnel of the health sector were becoming increasingly worried over the cases, insisting a lockdown would be the ultimate solution if all measures fail.”

Current figures from the Ghana Health Service put the country’s latest COVID-19 figures at 56,230 total cases, with 54,631 recovered cases, 338 deaths, and 1,261 active cases on admission at the various health centers across the country.

But, speaking to Nana Yaw Kesse on Peace Fm’s Kokrokoo show on Wednesday, January 13, 2021, Dr. Ankobea categorically denied the claims, stating that it could have been a misrepresentation of his words.

“I never said any such thing and I believe it is a misunderstanding of the education I was offering. We are not denying the rising case figures in the country, we have not suggested a lockdown and besides, not even the GMA has the authority to declare a total lockdown in this country,” he explained.

He reiterated the calls for people to continue to adhere to the safety protocols for the coronavirus, calling on particularly parents and teachers to be extra vigilant on children as schools resume.

“Every school should have a sickbay and they should collaborate with health facilities in their localities so that they are able to refer suspected cases to them for timely responses,” he added.

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

The Takoradi Veterinary Laboratory says it is currently recording a high COVID-19 positivity rate ranging around 30% of samples tested daily.

The Supervisor of the laboratory, Dr. Simon Gbene in a Citi News report said the high positivity rate could be attributed to increased infections in air-conditioned environments.

“Currently, although the figures of daily samples are not as huge as they used to be, positivity is going up. For instance, an institution, which I cannot disclose its name due to patient confidentiality, brought us 75 samples and 22 were positive.”

“That is a huge positivity rate which is almost 30 per cent, and we have had cases like that where institutions want to test and the numbers are huge. One of the main reasons is because, in an air-conditioned environment, it really increases the infectivity rate,” he said.

Dr Gbene underscored that the high positivity rate currently being recorded in the region is in spite of the low number of samples the laboratory processes in a day as compared to some time in the past.

“If you look at the number of tests that we have carried out as Takoradi Veterinary Laboratory, we have so far tested around 10,000 samples. But currently, the figures are down simply because of the change of policy since we are only testing symptomatic cases that are reported to the hospitals and referred to us. If there are positives, then we look at their contacts.”

“However, we have a few walk-ins, and they are a few because normally people who walk-in are those who are travelling. Meanwhile, travellers prefer to go to Accra to have the test,” he stated.

Speaking on the issue of the new COVID-19 variant, Dr Gbene said the Takoradi Veterinary Laboratory currently lacks the capability to test for the new variant but relies on the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research for that test whenever they record a positive case.

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

Some students in Accra, have expressed excitement about the reopening of schools amid COVID-19 expressing their readiness to resume academic work.

President Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo announced during his 21st State of the Nation’s Address on Sunday, January 3, 2021, that students at all levels will resume school, following consultations with various stakeholders.

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), some students expressed their readiness for school, indicating that they had missed lessons during the closure of schools to contain the spread of the virus.

Elorm Deborah Djayuri, a Junior High School (JHS) student, said, “I’m happy that I will soon return to school because I’ve stayed home for a long time. Last year, throughout the lockdown period, I stayed home till October when the President announced that we were going to return to school to complete our second term”.

Ernestina Mensah, a continuing Senior High School (SHS) student said though she was happy of going back to school, she prayed that students would observe COVID-19 protocols strictly in view of the country recording increasing number of cases.

Eric Sekyi, a tertiary student, applauded the decision of government to reopen schools, saying, “I am a final year student and I want to complete the academic year quickly”.

Speaking about the COVID-19 pandemic and overcrowding in classes, Sekyi, said “It depends on the individual. If we’re all able to abide by the laid down protocols, I think we will be cool. My only fear is that some people wouldn’t adhere to them”.

He, therefore, appealed to management of schools to enforce strict observation of the safety protocols by all.

All schools from kindergarten, primary to Junior High School are to go back to school on January 15, 2021.

Senior High School form one students and form two Gold track students are to start lessons from March 10, with all form one students on singletrack.

Senior High School forms two green track and three students will return to school on January 18, 2021.

Tertiary students resumed school on January 09, 2021, after nine months of COVID-19 shutdown.

Source: GNA