Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases have tremendously declined in the Volta Region since April when the first was recorded.
There are currently only two active cases of the virus under treatment in the region, according to Dr Senanu Kwesi Djokoto, Deputy Director of Heath (DDH) in-charge of public health in the region.
He said at a press conference in Ho on Sunday that a total of 672 COVID-19 cases had been confirmed from routine surveillance, contact tracing, mandatory quarantine and target group for screening over the past six months.
Out of the figure, 658 have fully recovered and have been discharged, Dr Djokoto announced.
He disclosed that the death toll over the period remained at 12.
“The Regional Public Health Emergency Management Committee and the Ghana Health Service have worked very well and continue to engage with all stakeholders to maintain the region’s capacity to manage the COVID-19 pandemic,” the DDH added.
In a related development, Dr Djokoto announced that the second and final round of the polio campaign slated for October 8-9, 2020 in the region would be carried out in strict conformity with COVID-19 protocols by the teams that will go round to vaccinate the children, “in similar fashion to what was done during the round one of the polio campaign.”
In that vein, the DDH gave the assurance that the vaccination team members would be provided with facemasks and alcohol-based sanitisers to clean their hands before and after vaccinating each child.
Dr Djokoto described the first round of the exercise as successful and incident-free in all the 18 districts of the region, and thanked the health workers, volunteers, traditional leaders, NGOs in health, the assemblies and the media as well as the Volta Regional Coordinating Council and other stakeholders for throwing their weight behind the exercise to ensure its success.
“While focusing on improving the immunity of our children, we should not lose sight of the fact that the polio virus thrives and spreads where there are insanitary conditions; let us compliment the efforts of the health service by ensuring that we have a clean environment,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mr Anthony Mawuli Pani, Regional Disease Control Officer, said that the first round of the polio vaccination exercise in the region benefited 288,000 children out of the targeted 381, 000.
FROM ALBERTO MARIO NORETTI, HO
