The Ghana Health Service (GHS) says the new COVID-19 variants from the United Kingdom (UK) are spreading faster and widely among the Ghanaian population, with higher disease burden.
The Ghana Health Service says the trend of the spread of the UK variants could overtake the traditional ones in existence in Ghanaian communities, if people failed to strictly observe the preventive and safety protocols put in place by the government.
Director-General of the GHS, Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, who announced this in Accra on Tuesday, during the COVID-19 Media Update, entreated Ghanaians to step up the wearing of facemasks and observe other safety protocols to avoid contracting the deadly virus.
Currently, the number of people falling sick from COVID-19 infections stood at 32 per cent, with 5,515 active cases as of January 30, 2021.
Dr Kuma-Aboagye said there had been increase in workplace infections recently and urged managers of both public and private organizations to adopt shift system and virtual platforms to curb the spread of the virus.
Meanwhile, Ghana has recorded 772 new cases of COVID-19, with eight more deaths, bringing the total fatalities to 424, as of January 30, 2021. There were 294 persons on admissions in treatment centres out of which 34 are in critical condition, 122 cases are severe while 138 cases are considered mild and moderate.
The country’s daily average cases stood at 700. Out of the 772 new cases, Greater Accra Region recorded 544 cases in 20 districts, representing 84.8 per cent. Ashanti-97, Western-25, Eastern- nine, Northern-34, Volta-25, Bono-10, Upper West-16, Upper East-seven and Kotoka International Airport- three.
At the same briefing, information Minister-designate Kojo Oppong Nkrumah clarified that the President’s recent ban on social gathering activities such as weddings, does not stop people from getting married.
Mr. Oppong Nkrumah explained that ” when it comes to marriage, what the President was speaking against are full-blown wedding that come with parties and reception where people dance, sitting at reception tables to eat etc. that is what has been banned”.
Similarly, the Ofoase Ayirebi MP clarified that the ban on funerals does not mean people cannot bury their dead ones, but gatherings after the burial are activities that have been prohibited due to Covid.
