Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, the Minister of Health, has revealed that 107 COVID-19 cases out of 316 suspected cases have been confirmed.
The minister stated there is no need for panic over the resurgence of COVID-19.
He called on Ghanaians to be vigilant and adhere to safety protocols.
According to the Health Minister, the current outbreak is localised and caused by a known and generally mild variant.
Kwabena Mintah Akandoh asserted that the University of Ghana’s recent hall week celebrations were the primary driver of the spike.
Speaking on the floor of parliament on July 1, the Health Minister stated, “As of now, 316 suspected cases, 107 of those cases have been confirmed as COVID-19. Fortunately, no hospitalisations and no deaths. This is not a new virus, and we are not back to 2020.”
“Mr. Speaker, after sending in a team to investigate, we found a few key issues that fuelled the spread. The most significant factor was the recent Hall Week celebrations held at the University. These events brought large crowds together, with little use of face masks or distancing”.
He added, “It spreads fast, yes – but it is mostly mild. And we know how to manage it.”
“We’ve beaten back bigger waves before, and we can do it again—with calm, cooperation, and good public health practices,” he stated, reinforcing the collective responsibility of Ghanaians in keeping communities safe. “COVID-19 is not over—but neither is our resolve.”
Meanwhile, Dr Franklin Asiedu-Bekoe, the Director of Public Health at the Ghana Health Service (GHS), has revealed that COVID-19 never left.
According to the GHS, COVID-19 remains present in the country and has never been eradicated.
He further urged the public not to downplay the existence of the virus.
Speaking on Citi Eyewitness News, Dr. Franklin Asiedu-Bekoe, the Director of Public Health at GHS, stated, “COVID never left. COVID has been with us since 2020.
Somewhere last year, the Director-General of WHO said COVID is no longer an issue of emergency, but we never said COVID is gone. If it were, the WHO would have declared an end to the pandemic.
“This is not the first time we have recorded the virus in recent weeks. But due to complications from close contact at such events, we’re now seeing more noticeable cases.
What happened was that there was this hall week celebration, and because we have a cluster of students, one of them who have had the virus must have caused the spread of the virus, but I want to put in context that covid never left and this is not the first time we are getting the virus. What we need to do is go back to the protocols to contain it,” he said.
The GHS comments come on the back of the University of Ghana, on Monday, June 23, announcing a resurgence of COVID-19 cases on its campus.
The university announced an immediate suspension of all social events, encouraging students and staff to observe all COVID-19 preventive measures.
On Thursday, June 26, a statement released by the university’s health directorate revealed that suspected and confirmed cases had been recorded, leading to a revival of internal health protocols.
