COVID-19 still present, not eradicated – GHS

The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has reaffirmed that COVID-19 remains a present threat in the country, with the virus still circulating at low levels nationwide.

According to Dr. Franklin Asiedu-Bekoe, Director of Public Health at the GHS, new cases have recently emerged, particularly within the University of Ghana community.

The GHS has cautioned the public against underestimating the existence of the virus. Dr. Asiedu-Bekoe explained that the recent infections at the University of Ghana appear to have spread during a hall week celebration on campus, where a cluster of students, including one with the virus, contributed to the outbreak.

“COVID never left. COVID has been with us since 2020. Somewhere last year, the Director-General of WHO said that COVID is no longer an issue of emergency; we never said COVID is gone. If it were gone, WHO would declare an end to the pandemic,” Dr. Asiedu-Bekoe stated.

“There was this hall week celebration, and because we had a cluster of students, one of whom had the virus, it caused the spread. But I want to put it in context that COVID never left, and this is not the first time we are recording new cases. We’ve seen infections over the past weeks and months,” he added.

The GHS has urged institutions to revisit established COVID-19 safety protocols as a preventive measure and has endorsed the University of Ghana’s decision to suspend social events.

This information was shared by Dr. Franklin Asiedu-Bekoe in an interview with Citi Eyewitness News on Thursday, June 26, amid a recent resurgence of COVID-19 cases on the University of Ghana campus, prompting the university to suspend social gatherings and reactivate internal health measures.