Coronavirus cases high among health personnel, students - Eastern Region health director

The Deputy Public Health Director for the Eastern Region, Dr. John Ekow Otoo, says more health workers and students are being infected by the COVID-19 virus in the Region.

Giving the Region’s outlook at a public health emergency meeting, Dr. Ekow Otoo pointed out that the disregard for Covid protocols in communities is causing the rise in figures.

The Eastern Region has recorded 2,555 positive cases and currently has 191 active cases. Persons infected are aged between 29 to 94 years with a 2.1 case fatality rate.

Dr. Ekow Otoo further pointed out that lack of space in communities for isolation and quarantine, access to the ambulance to refer positive cases, lack of ventilators, and inadequate PPEs and consumables were affecting efforts.

He asked that the Regional Coordinating Council provide PPEs to health personnel, tablets to keep accurate and timely data, and other critical logistics such as ventilators while the security services reinforce mask-wearing.

The Eastern Regional Director of Health, Dr Winfred Ofosu, said surveillance and contact tracing were still ongoing.

He made it clear that the vaccination exercise carried out in the Region was for a section of the populace, hence the need for people to still adhere to Covid safety protocols to minimize the rate of infection.

The Eastern Region Minister, Seth Kwame Acheampong, had concerns that the hot spot for infection was among senior high students especially those in the Kwahu West Municipality.

He also expressed worry about nightlife activities in Koforidua and Akropong that disregarded safety protocols.

The regional minister charged security personnel to reinforce adherence to mask-wearing and called on stakeholders to intensify educational efforts.

The Public Health Committee intends to have periodic fumigation of pubic places and engage in sensitization to avoid the spread of the new Delta variant.