55 test positive for COVID-19 at Accra Girls’ SHS

A joint statement from the Ghana Education Service and the Ghana Health Service has said Accra Girls’ Senior High School has recorded the most cases of COVID-19 among senior high schools from the first report to date.

“As of 13 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”, the statement co-signed by the Directors-General of GES and GHS, respectively, Prof Kwasi Opoku-Amankwa and Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye said.

It said following the first report of COVID-19 cases in some SHSs in the

country on 6 July 2020, the GHS and GES instituted a number of measures to determine the extent of the outbreak and containment measures.

Actions taken so far:

• Identification and segregation of contact from other students

• Sample collection and laboratory testing of all contacts identified and

suspected cases

• All confirmed cases have been transferred to designated national

treatment and isolation centres for management

• 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

• Disinfection of the entire school has been carried out

• Adequate PPEs have been provided to health staff stationed in the school

• Education on COVID-19 prevention and control has been intensified within

the school

• Counselling and psychological support is being provided to the students

• The school has designated a quarantine and isolation centre

• Parents and guardians of affected student have been duly contacted

• Staff of the school have been reassured

Similarly, the statement said “a few other schools have reported sporadic cases, which have not experience a surge. To prevent spread of COVID-19 in senior high schools across the country, similar measures are being implemented”.

The GES and GHS assured the public that “efforts are being made to ensure the safety of our staff and students”.

Meanwhile, Ghana has recorded 470 new OCIVD-19 cases, taking the national load to 24, 988, according to the Ghana Health Service as of Monday, 13 July 2020.

The number of clinical recoveries has also gone up to 21,067.

The number of active cases has fallen to 3,782.

The death toll remains 139.

So far, the health authorities have conducted 331,366 tests with 121, 062 being from routine surveillance and 210, 304 from contact-tracing.

Ghana’s positivity rate, so far, is 7.54 per cent.

Regional breakdown

Greater Accra Region – 13,690

Ashanti Region – 5,259

Western Region – 2,140

Central Region – 1,110

Eastern Region – 948

Volta Region – 418

Upper East Region – 282

Northern Region – 267

Bono East Region – 205

Western North Region – 200

Oti Region – 128

Bono Region – 107

Ahafo Region – 98

Upper West Region – 70

Savannah Region – 57

North East Region – 9