Director General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr Patrick Kumah-Aboagye, has revealed that there has been an increase in the number of positive COVID-19 cases recorded at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA), according to available data from antigen tests carried out at the airport on all arriving passengers.
Addressing the press at the Information Ministry today the 28th of November 2021, Dr. Kumah-Aboagye, pointed out that as at 28th of November 2021, a total of 629,831 antigen tests have been done on arriving passengers out of which 3,093, have tested positive for COVID-19. This figure, according to the GHS Director General, represents a test positivity rate of 0.48%.
Exclusive Information
Exclusive information available to Asaase News indicates that on Friday the 26th of November 2021 alone, the Pantang Hospital’s Isolation and Treatment Centre had a total of 33 patients. On Saturday the 27th of November, the hospital received six (6) new patients from KIA, bringing the number of patients there to 39.
The M Plaza Hotel on Friday the 26th of November received four (4) new clients who had tested positive at KIA to bring their number of persons in isolation to 58. However, on the 27th of November, nine (9) persons were discharged and two (2) additional KIA arriving passengers were received, reducing the tally to 51.
La Palm Hotel, another facility which as at Friday the 26th of November, had 96 clients who are in isolation or receiving treatment, discharged one person bringing the number down to 95. On the 27th of November, the facility received one new patient and discharged another person. This latest development means that the number of COVID-19 patients in isolation at the La Palm Hotel remains 95.
Surge in Cases
In his statement to the press, the GHS boss noted that the surge in cases recorded at KIA is largely among Ghanaians who participated in an international religious conference. He added that the number of cases recorded in the month of November 2021 are more than the number of recorded cases in the same period in the year 2020.
The COVID-19 cases by month graph at KIA as shown by Dr. Kumah-Aboagye showed that in November 2020, a total of 168 cases were recorded while in November 2021, the number shot up to 205.
Plan to stop surge
A surge in COVID-19 cases among international arrivals according to the GHS, is expected largely due to anticipated increase in number of arrivals, increase in global travel with the associated risk of disease transmission, similar experience during the 2020 Christmas season and the emergence of new strains.
To ensure that the country does not experience a new wave of COVID-19 cases, the GHS says it will continue to implement the protocols on international travel as currently exists, ensure strict enforcement of the protocols at the Kotoka International Airport and all other entry points and increased surveillance and monitoring of new strains and persons returning from countries of concern.
Religious Gatherings
The GHS also says it will engage the various religious organisations in the country who are expected to have large gatherings as part of the Christmas festivities to ensure that all COVID-19 protocols are observed in their premises and during their meetings.
The monitoring and enforcement of existing protocols for COVID-19 for such mass gatherings, according to the GHS, will be done in collaboration with the security agencies.
Wilberforce Asare
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