COVID-19: Greater Accra Remains Hotspot With 267 Cases

The Greater Accra Region, since its declaration as Ghana’s COVID-19 hotspot has remained as such until now even as most regions have relatively low active and new cases.

Out of Ghana’s current four hundred and fifty-two (452) active case count, the Greater Accra region holds more than half of it- 267 as of June 6, 2022.

Records from the Ghana Health Service show that the Greater Accra Region in January had 4,488 new cases; 2,523 in February; 152 in March; 39 in April; 399 in May and 267 in June.

Out of the current number of cases in the Greater Accra Region, 18.1% of the outbreak are in children between the ages of 0 and 15years with the majority of cases in persons between the ages of 21 and 35 years.

According to the GHS, the youngest to get infected is 6 months old.

National Records

As of June 6, 2022 total confirmed cases in Ghana was 162,002 with 2,455,610 tests done according to records from the Ghana Health Service.

160,105 total recoveries, 1,445 total deaths and 452 active cases have also been recorded nationwide.

Dr Patrick Kuma Aboagye, the Director-General of the GHS noted that no critical or severe case is in the country.

Cause Of Rise

At a presser, Dr Kuma Aboagye attributed the rise in Covid cases to seasonal factors, school and workplace outbreaks, social events and declining protective effects of vaccination due to low booster vaccination uptake.

“Ghana generally records an increase in respiratory tract infections at the onset of the rainy season with peas around July. There is further evidence by the current increase in influenza infections picked from existing influenza and other respiratory virus sentinel site

“There has been an increase in school and workplace-related settings due to poor compliance to safety protocols, especially the wearing of masks”, he said.

Measures To Address Surge

The GHS says it has put in place several measures to tackle the rise in case counts including enhanced surveillance activities across all districts in Greater Accra, especially in schools and workplaces.

It said it is also providing rapid Covid-19 case management teams and treatment facilities and reactivation of COVID-19 case management teams and treatment facilities

Additionally, it is providing enhanced public education on adherence to COVID-19 protocols as well as enhanced public education on COVID-19 vaccination and booster dose uptake.

Also, the GHS says it has been administering an active vaccination drive since 31st May to improve uptake.

Vaccines And Vaccination

So far, the GHS said Ghana has received 32,372,158 vaccines, 7 million of which are in stock at the national level.

5,824, 364 million doses have been administered.

The GHS says the fourth round of the National Vaccination Day (NaCVaDa)-a vaccination campaign in the country- begins today and ends on June 12, 2022, with the fifth round from 24th to June 28, 2022.

Source: opemsuo.com/Hajara Fuseini