4 COVID-19 cases recorded in school since reopening
The Ghana Health Service (GHS) and the Ghana Education Service (GES) have disclosed that four cases of the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have so far been recorded in schools since the re-opening on January 18.
Addressing the minister's press briefing, a national platform created by the government to update the nation on the COVID-19 pandemic in Accra, the Director General of the GES, Professor Kwasi Opoku-Amankwa, said the GES and the GHS were closely monitoring to ensure that schools did not let down their guard on strict adherence to the safety protocols.
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He reassured parents that their children were in good hands within a COVID-19 safe learning environment.
They attributed the low case situation to the pragmatic safety guidelines instituted as conditions for the re-opening of schools.
Professor Opoku-Amankwa said it was in view of this that the government had released about 22 million pieces of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and sanitary items which are currently being distributed to pupils, students and staff of all private and public schools.
He said distributions of the PPE formed part of the guidelines for total school re-opening and national effort to safeguard the health of pupils and teachers and prevent as much as possible, the transmission of the Coronavirus disease in schools.
Prof. Opoku-Amankwa said the PPE included 10 million pieces of reusable face masks.
Other items are 9.9 million bottles of hand sanitisers; 140,000 pieces of the 4.5 litre gallons of hand sanitisers; 1.65 million pieces of a six-in-one tissue papers; 400,000 pieces of a 4.5 litre gallons of liquid soap and 53,000 pieces of Veronica buckets.
The rest are 25,000 pieces of electronic sanitiser dispensers; 38,000 pieces of thermometer guns and 300,000 pieces of face shields.
He said the current provision was for the first academic term and disclosed that the government would replenish stock periodically as required to ensure maximum protection of students, pupils and staff of schools in the quest to ensure continuity in education.
Prof. Opoku-Amankwaa said the GHS would leave no stone unturned in ensuring that students, pupils and teachers were safe.
In doing that, he said there would be constant monitoring of the education system to fetch the requisite information for appropriate actions to be taken while the system runs.
The director-general of the Ghana Health Service applauded students, pupils and staff of schools for adhering to the safety protocols and encouraged them never to let down their guard.
“Let us continue to wash our hands with soap under running water and continue to have our face mask on all the time while in and out of school.
“Let us keep a distance of two metres from one another whenever we are in school and in public places. Drink a lot of water and frequently sanitise your hands and desks,” he said.