Mr Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, the Minister of Health, has urged Ghanaians not to panic as there is robust surveillance system in place to contain the COVID-19 outbreak on the campus of the University of Ghana (UG).
He said there were 316 suspected cases of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 and 107 confirmed cases at the campus of the University, but there was no death or hospital admissions so far.
“Mr Speaker, I want to assure Ghanaians that this is not a new virus, and we are not back to 2020. This Omicron variant has been with us before. It spreads fast, yes, but it is mostly mild. And we know how to manage it,” Mr Akandoh assured.
The Health Minister gave the assurance in Accra on Tuesday when he updated Parliament on the current situation of the COVID-19 outbreak at the campus of the UG.
The Minister said the outbreak was a localised issue and had not spread widely to Accra communities and other parts of the country.
Mr Akandoh pledged government’s determination to provide all the necessary support including stockpiling of vaccines and PPEs to the University to manage the situation.
The Minister said following the Ministry’s investigations, it revealed that the recent Hall Week celebrations at the campus of the University fuelled the spread of the virus due to non-adherence to the COVID-19 safety protocols.
In view of that he said, the Ministry’s surveillance disease team had been working closely with the University’s Health Directorate, Head of the Nuguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research and the School of Public Health to sensitise the University community to observe the COVID-19 safety protocols to avert further spread of the virus.
It had also enhanced campus-wide education campaigns using posters, campus radio and student leaders to reach out to the University’s community.
The Minister indicated that COVID-19 was no longer regarded as a global emergency though it was anticipated that there would be occasional outbreaks and expressed government’s preparedness to manage it expeditiously.
By GNA/ Godwill Arthur- Mensah/Elsie Appiah-Osei
