GhanaHealthNews

Six students, teacher, spouse test positive for COVID-19 at Accra Girls’ SHS

GES and GHS issue a joint statement saying that the individuals affected had been taken to a treatment centre for further management, in line with laid-down protocols on the COVID-19 pandemic issued to all schools and were currently doing well

Ghana News Agency (ACCRA) — The Ghana Health Service (GHS) and the Ghana Education Service (GES) say that as at 6 July, six students, a teacher and spouse at the Accra Girls’ Senior High School had tested positive for COVID-19.

The joint statement was signed by Patrick Kuma Aboagye, director general of the GHS, and Kwasi Opoku-Agyemang, director general of the GES.

There were reports on Monday that the Accra Girls’ students had staged a demonstration, asking to go home, following the outbreak of the virus on campus.

Parents and guardians besieged the school premises, demanding the release of their wards.

Responding to the agitation, the statement said a team of experts at various levels from the GHS, led by national officers, had been to the school together with colleagues from the GES to put in the necessary control measures.

According to the statement, all contacts of confirmed cases had been identified and separated from non-contacts. Testing of all contacts of confirmed cases had also started and the Accra Girls’ authorities, with the support of the local assembly, were in the process of disinfecting the affected dormitories.

“The school has put in measures to ensure strict adherence to social distancing and other COVID-19 safety measures, and continuous public education sections for staff, students and parents on COVID-19 as part of steps instituted so far,” the statement said.

Continuous training

The statement said while it was understandable that parents would be anxious about their children’s welfare and might besiege the school to remove them, it strongly advised against such a move. “If a student is infected, there is a risk of further contagion in the community if he or she is taken out of school,” it said.

“A team of 200 personnel, drawn from the GES, GHS, the regional and district directorates of education are actively spread out all over the country and are monitoring the situation closely.

“Further, all … senior high schools have been mapped with health facilities to ensure that any suspected cases are promptly dealt with per the laid-down health protocols.”

The statement further said school heads and selected staff had been trained and would continue to receive further training and support on COVID-19 issues and management.

“All schools have been provided with the necessary logistics needed to fight this pandemic, including Veronica buckets, sanitisers, face masks [and] tissue paper and the schools have been disinfected as well,” it said.

The two bodies assured the public that If any student was affected, the parents would be notified and allowed to visit. At all schools where there have been suspected or positive cases, they had been isolated or quarantined and managed appropriately, the GES and GHS said.

“Management wishes to inform parents, guardians and the public to remain assured that, in collaboration with the GHS, all is being done to ensure that our students remain safe and can prepare for their impending West African Senior School Certificate Examination in an environment devoid of anxiety,” the statement said.

Via
Ghana News Agency
Source
Kojo Adams
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