[SUMMARY] 16th Update On Coronavirus | NeWsMaStErGh

The President of Ghana,Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo was set to give the 16th update on measures taken to combat Coronavirus in Ghana. 

According to him, "the very first cases of COVID-19 in Ghana were imported into our shoes,and we are to make sure this scenario does not recur."

SUMMARY OF THE 16TH UPDATE 

1. Since May 31, government engaged in controlled, progressive, and safe easing of restrictions in the country to get the economy back to life. 

2. As of the 15th Address, active cases stood at 1,847. As of Friday,August 28,the number of active cases reduced to 1,059 persons with 42,963 recoveries and 276 deaths. 

3. The Kotoka International Airport will reopen and resume operations from Tuesday, September 1,2020. 

The following measures have been taken

a)  Any passenger arriving in the country must be in possession of a negative COVID-19 PCR test result from an accredited laboratory in the country of origin. The test should have been done not more than seventy-two (72) hours before the scheduled departure from the country of origin. All airlines have been instructed to ensure compliance with this directive for all passengers wishing to travel to Ghana, and those airlines who fail in this regard will be duly sanctioned. 

b) Disembarking passengers must do so wearing face masks. 

c) Upon disembarking from the aeroplane, each passenger will undergo a mandatory COVID-19 test at the airport terminal, at a fee to be borne by the passenger. The test result will be available within thirty (30) minutes. 

d)  Children under the ages of five (5) will not be required to undergo testing at the airport. 

e)  Passengers, who test positive for COVID-19 will be handled by the health authorities for further clinical assessment and management. 

f)  Passengers ,who test negative can thereupon, enter Ghana to go about their lawful activities, and will be advised to continue to observe COVID-19 safety precautions during their stay in Ghana. 

4. Borders by land and sea,will continue to remain closed to human traffic until further notice. 

5. SHS2 and JHS2 students are to return to school from 15th October to 14th December 2020 to complete their academic year,as decided by the Ghana Education  Service and relevant stakeholders. 

6. JHSs will operate within class sizes of thirty(30),and SHSs with class sizes of twenty-five(25). JHS 2 and SHS 2 students will be in school for ten(10) weeks to study and write exams. 

7. SHS 2 students in boarding houses are to return to their various dormitories on 5th October,whilst day students will commute from home on the same date. 

8. All Junior and Senior High Schools will be fumigated and disinfected. 

9. JHS 2 and SHS 2 students,as well as Teaching and Non-teaching staff will be given reusable face masks. Each school will be provided with Veronica buckets,gallons of liquid soap,rolls of tissue paper,thermometer guns, and 200 milli-litre containers of sanitizers. 

10. JHS 2 Students will be given One (1) hot meal a day. 

11. Assemblies and sporting events, as well as use of school premises by outsiders remain banned. 

12. Each school without a sick bay has been mapped to a health facility, and care is provides to the sick by nurses assigned to them. 

13. The Ghana Education Service has decided to postpone the remainder of the academic year for all nursery kindergarten,primary, JHS 1 and SHS 1 students. Next academic year will resume in January 2021 with appropriate adjustment made to the curriculum to ensure all topics are covered. 

The President, like always, also urged all Ghanaians to keep adhering to all the COVID-19 safety protocols.