Minimise Covid-19 infection risks - Ghanaians advised

Ghana Health Service (GHS) has advised Ghanaians to minimise the risk of getting COVID-19 infection by adhering to the safety protocols despite the easing of the restrictions.

Dr Kwame Amponsa-Achiano, the Programme Manager for the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI), GHS, speaking in an interview said it appeared Ghanaians’ level of risk perception had gone down as they thought COVID was gone, saying, “but I tell you it is not gone at all.”

He said the easing of the restrictions meant that it was not compulsory to wear the mask, but it was important that people wore the mask, especially in confined areas where windows and doors were closed.

The advice comes after the country recorded a sharp increase in COVID-19 cases after reducing in a long while.

Ghana as of June 2, 2022, has recorded a total of 62 new cases, bringing the active cases to 370 and a death toll of 1,445.

The current COVID-19 confirmed cases stand at 161,795, with 159,980 people having recovered.

Research also suggests that the rainy season or high humidity levels could cause a severe spread of the pandemic.

Dr Amponsa-Achiano said the virus kept changing and one might never know which form it could take which might be more dangerous and as such people must always be on guard.

He advised Ghanaians to adhering to the safety protocols as the fight against the disease was not over.  

Ghana in March 2020 recorded its first cases of COVID-19 and has since put in place policy measures from lockdown, travel restrictions, ports closure, ban on social gatherings, vaccination exercises among others to stem the spread of the disease.