Covid-19: 55 Test Positive In Ghana High School

Cat:

Related stories

Why I Renamed IBB’s Govt Built International Conference Centre After Tinubu – Wike

By Kolawole Ojebisi The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory,...

My Soul Has Left PDP, Says Momodu

By Kolawole Ojebisi The publisher of Ovation International, Dele Momodu,...

Let’s Go To Party, By Uzor Maxim Uzoatu

Fellow countrymen and women, let’s take a trip to...

Budget of barbarians, for brigands, by buccaneers

By Ugo Onuoha THE first thing that the legislative and...

Oil Prices Could Sink Below $50 This Year

Crude oil prices could decline below $50 a barrel this...

By Kolawole Ojebisi

Fifty-five persons have tested positive for the coronavirus in a high school in Ghana.

This was contained in a joint statement signed by Kwasi Opoku-Amankwa, director-general, Ghana Education Service (GES); and Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, director-general, Ghana Health Service (GHS), on Monday.

The development comes weeks after schools in Ghana partially reopened in June.

Recall that Ghana initially eased lockdown in April when the government cited “improved testing and severe impact of the lockdown on the poor”. The lockdown was reimposed after some days due to spike in the number of infected people.COVID-19

Read also: FG Okays Reopening Of Schools For Pry 6, JSS 3, SSS 3 Students

The government, however, lifted the lockdown completely in May.

President Nana Akufo-Addo, had earlier directed graduating senior secondary students to resume on June 22, while their counterparts in junior and tertiary schools had resumed earlier.

According to Ghana health service and Ghana education service the 55 infected persons were among the 314 staff and students of Accra Girls Senior High School who were tested for the virus.

Read also: Sanwo-Olu Gives Date For Re-opening Of Lagos Schools

“Following the first report of Covid-19 cases in some Senior High Schools in the country on 6th July, 2020, the Ghana Health Service and the Ghana Education Service instituted a number of measures to determine the extent of the outbreak and containment measures. Accra Girls Senior High School has recorded most cases from the first report to date,” the statement read.

“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.”

Read also: I Never Called Covid-19 A Sham, Says Nwajiuba, Education Minister (State)

The government agencies said measures taken so far include identification and segregation of infected persons, as well as disinfection of schools.

According to the statement, sample collection and laboratory testing of all contacts identified and suspected cases have commenced, while adequate personal protective equipment have been provided to health workers stationed in schools.

Read also: Suspension Of WASSCE ‘ll ‘Create Chaos’, Atiku Condemns FG’s Decision

“All confirmed cases have been transferred to designated national treatment and isolation centres for management,” it read.

Other measures listed included “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.”

Read also: COVID-19: Israel Records Second Direct Flight From Nigeria

“Education on Covid-19 prevention and control has been intensified within the school. Counselling and psychological support is being provided to the students,” they added.

“The school has designated a quarantine and isolation centre. Parents and guardians of affected students have been duly contacted. Staff of the school have been reassured.”

Read also: COVID-19: Africa’s Cases Surpass 600, 000, Says WHO

According to the statement, similar measures are being implemented in other schools where cases have been reported.

Parents, guardians and the general public were given the reassurance that “efforts are being made to ensure the safety of our staff and students”.

Matthew Prempeh, Ghanaian minister of education, had earlier said over 90 percent of the staff of the ministry have contracted the coronavirus.

Read also: Acute Water Shortage Jeorpadizing Lagos Covid-19 Response, CAPPA’s Report Reveals

Meanwhile, in Nigeria, there has been controversy over whether or not to reopen schools which have been closed since March.

The federal government had earlier announced the decision to allow schools reopen for the conduct of the West African Senior Secondary School Examination (WASSCE), scheduled to begin on August 5.

The decision was later reversed and the government announced that students of federal government colleges would be exempted from WASSCE for the year 2020.

However, the ministry of education has now released guidelines for safe reopening of schools across the country.

The ministry added that only schools owned by the federal government are bound by its directives.

'Dotun Akintomide
'Dotun Akintomide
'Dotun Akintomide's journalism works intersect business, environment, politics and developmental issues. Among a number of local and international publications, his work has appeared in the New York Times. He's a winner of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Award. Currently, the Online Editor at The New Diplomat, Akintomide has produced reports that uniquely spoke to Nigeria's experience on Climate Change issues. When Akintomide is not writing, volunteering or working on a media project, you can find him seeing beautiful sites like the sandy beaches that bedecked the Lagos coastline.

Subscribe

- Never miss a story with notifications

- Gain full access to our premium content

- Browse free from up to 5 devices at once

[tds_leads input_placeholder="Your email address" btn_horiz_align="content-horiz-center" pp_msg="SSd2ZSUyMHJlYWQlMjBhbmQlMjBhY2NlcHQlMjB0aGUlMjAlM0NhJTIwaHJlZiUzRCUyMiUyMyUyMiUzRVByaXZhY3klMjBQb2xpY3klM0MlMkZhJTNFLg==" pp_checkbox="yes" tdc_css="eyJhbGwiOnsibWFyZ2luLXRvcCI6IjMwIiwibWFyZ2luLWJvdHRvbSI6IjQwIiwiZGlzcGxheSI6IiJ9LCJwb3J0cmFpdCI6eyJtYXJnaW4tdG9wIjoiMTUiLCJtYXJnaW4tYm90dG9tIjoiMjUiLCJkaXNwbGF5IjoiIn0sInBvcnRyYWl0X21heF93aWR0aCI6MTAxOCwicG9ydHJhaXRfbWluX3dpZHRoIjo3NjgsImxhbmRzY2FwZSI6eyJtYXJnaW4tdG9wIjoiMjAiLCJtYXJnaW4tYm90dG9tIjoiMzAiLCJkaXNwbGF5IjoiIn0sImxhbmRzY2FwZV9tYXhfd2lkdGgiOjExNDAsImxhbmRzY2FwZV9taW5fd2lkdGgiOjEwMTksInBob25lIjp7Im1hcmdpbi10b3AiOiIyMCIsImRpc3BsYXkiOiIifSwicGhvbmVfbWF4X3dpZHRoIjo3Njd9" display="column" gap="eyJhbGwiOiIyMCIsInBvcnRyYWl0IjoiMTAiLCJsYW5kc2NhcGUiOiIxNSJ9" f_msg_font_family="downtown-sans-serif-font_global" f_input_font_family="downtown-sans-serif-font_global" f_btn_font_family="downtown-sans-serif-font_global" f_pp_font_family="downtown-serif-font_global" f_pp_font_size="eyJhbGwiOiIxNSIsInBvcnRyYWl0IjoiMTEifQ==" f_btn_font_weight="700" f_btn_font_size="eyJhbGwiOiIxMyIsInBvcnRyYWl0IjoiMTEifQ==" f_btn_font_transform="uppercase" btn_text="Unlock All" btn_bg="#000000" btn_padd="eyJhbGwiOiIxOCIsImxhbmRzY2FwZSI6IjE0IiwicG9ydHJhaXQiOiIxNCJ9" input_padd="eyJhbGwiOiIxNSIsImxhbmRzY2FwZSI6IjEyIiwicG9ydHJhaXQiOiIxMCJ9" pp_check_color_a="#000000" f_pp_font_weight="600" pp_check_square="#000000" msg_composer="" pp_check_color="rgba(0,0,0,0.56)" msg_succ_radius="0" msg_err_radius="0" input_border="1" f_unsub_font_family="downtown-sans-serif-font_global" f_msg_font_size="eyJhbGwiOiIxMyIsInBvcnRyYWl0IjoiMTIifQ==" f_input_font_size="eyJhbGwiOiIxNCIsInBvcnRyYWl0IjoiMTIifQ==" f_input_font_weight="500" f_msg_font_weight="500" f_unsub_font_weight="500"]

Latest stories

NDN
Latest News
Why I Renamed IBB's Govt Built International Conference Centre After Tinubu - WikeMy Soul Has Left PDP, Says MomoduLet’s Go To Party, By Uzor Maxim UzoatuBudget of barbarians, for brigands, by buccaneersOil Prices Could Sink Below $50 This YearExclusive: Nigeria's $5 billion oil-backed loan from Aramco delayed by oil price drop, say sourcesTop APC Chieftain, Jesutega Onokpasa Dies at 49Sallah Break: Tinubu Finally Departs Lagos State For Abuja, Resumes WorkFalana Warns Wike: Your Ignorance of Diplomatic Rules 'll Cause Crisis for Nigeria Over Grant RentTrump’s Administration Reverses Self, Directs Embassies to Process Harvard Students VisasA New Dawn for Rivers StateKenya Plans to Launch Crude Oil Exports in 2026Maryam Abacha Drops Jabs At Gen Abdulsalami, Says Billions Stolen After Abacha’s DeathTinubu: Presidency Replies Peter Obi, Says He Is Blind To RealitiesHow Boko Haram Attacked Ex-COAS Buratai's Convoy, Escapes Death In Borno --- Reveals Ndume
X whatsapp