Health experts in Ghana have expressed concern over the emergence of new COVID-19 cases in various parts of the country, highlighting the importance of continued adherence to safety protocols to prevent the spread of the virus.
In an interview with Citi News, Dr Franklin Asiedu Bekoe, Director of Public Health at the Ghana Health Service (GHS), emphasised that the occurrence of new cases is a clear indication that COVID-19 is still a threat.
He urged individuals to remain vigilant, especially in settings with poor ventilation, and recommended the use of masks.
Dr. Bekoe stressed the ongoing importance of handwashing with soap and water as a critical intervention in preventing the spread of the virus.
“The occurrence of these new cases is surprising. For us, it depends on the fact that Covid-19 is not gone yet. So what is happening is that we are getting a few cases being reported in some parts of Accra and a few in other regions.
“If you are in a location where the ventilation is poor, for instance in your office and you realise that the size isn’t big enough and is enclosed and you have poor ventilation, then I think that what we suggest is to get a mask particularly whereby your colleagues are sneezing and coughing. We are stressing that this handwashing with soap and running water has never ended, it’s a very positive intervention.”
Dr Kwame Amponsa-Achiano, Programme Manager of the Expanded Programme of Immunisation at GHS, echoed Dr Bekoye’s sentiments, noting that the easing of restrictions and the classification of COVID-19 as no longer a public health emergency by the World Health Organization (WHO) does not signify the end of the disease.