Coronavirus: Ghana's cases now 25,252; opposition party, parents want second cycle schools closed

14 Juillet 2020

Accra, Ghana, July 14 (Infosplusgabon) - Ghana's COVID-19 count has risen to 25,252 as the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the National Council of Parent-Teacher Associations (NCPTAs) demand the closure of second cycle schools which have recorded positive cases among students and staff.

The Ghana Health Service (GHS) said on Tuesday that 264 new cases have been recorded in 26 districts in six of the 16 regions.

The Director of Public Health of GHS, Dr Badu Sarkodie, said the coastal and middle belts continue to be hotspots of the disease.

The number of deaths remains at 139 with recoveries/discharge now 21,391 while the number of active cases is 3,716.

The hardest hit secondary school is Accra Girls' Senior High School where 55 people, made up of students and staff, have tested positive.

The Ghana Health Service (GHS) and the Ghana Education Service said testing at the school commenced after the first case was reported on 6 July.

“As at 13th July, 2020, a total of 314 persons (students and staff) from the School have been tested. Out of these, 55 have been confirmed positive for COVID-19 while 259 persons tested negative,” they said in a statement.

It added that all those who have tested positive have been sent to treatment centres.

Many other Senior High Schools have also reported positive cases. The schools reopened a few weeks ago for final year students to write their exit examinations and the second batch of second year students to complete their second semester.

News of the outbreak of the disease at Accra Girls' High School triggered a protest among the students who demanded to go home while many parents and guardians thronged the premises demanding to take their their children and wards home.

The opposition NDC on Monday lashed out at the government for the "poor handling" of the pandemic and urged parents and guardians to take their wards out of the various secondary schools to protect them.

The party said President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s decision to reopen schools despite the increasing number of COVID-19 cases is a clear indication of where his interest lies.

Citing the closure of several key institutions, including the Finance Ministry and Cocoa Board, due to the outbreak of the virus, the NDC argued that the government is rather interested in protecting adults than young school children.

The NDC said students should be tested and sent back home until the situation improves.

The NCPTAs on its part has asked government to send all school children awaiting to write their final examinations home.

“In the current circumstances, the children are psychologically unstable and would therefore not be of sound mind to write the West African Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) the and Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) examination and come out successfully,” it said in a statement after a National Executive Consultative meeting.

“We, therefore, suggest that these examinations be postponed till the situation is brought under control,” a statement by the association issued on Monday said.

The association cited among other things the inadequacy of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and the non-availability of same in some schools as some of the reasons why the children are not safe in the schools.

It also said not enough health personnel have been stationed either in the schools or attached to many of them for routine surveillance for the disease.

But the Government has said closing the schools and sending the students back will rather make them spread the disease.

FIN/ INFOSPLUSGABON/MOP/GABON2020

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