Coronavirus: If education ministry can shut down, why not schools? – Dr. Jehu Appiah to gov’t

National Democratic Congress (NDC)’s COVID-19 technical team member, Dr. Jehu Appiah has disputed the claims that closing down schools and sending students home will cause a surge in the COVID-19 disease.

According to him, allowing students to leave the schools will rather prevent infected students from infecting other students in the schools.

He argued that if some ministries in the country were closed due to COVID-19 fears, it is possible that the schools can be closed to protect the students.

In an interview with Kwame Afrifa Mensah on the ‘Epa Hoa Daben’ show, he said: “We had cases in the Ministry of Finance, they shut it down. The Judicial system, the Ministry of Education were all shut down, even cabinet because they found one or two cases. So why is it that schools cannot be shut down? We cannot sit unconcerned. They should take this advice in the good light. The death of even just one student is tragic. They promised us and they have to fulfill that promise. They have to do everything in their power to guarantee that”.

He further lamented that our health facilities have been overburdened and as such if the situation is not handled properly, our health system will collapse as the cases rise.

According to media reports, thirteen final year students in senior high schools in the country have tested positive for the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Speaking at a press briefing in Accra last week, the Deputy Minister of Education, in charge of Basic and Secondary Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, confirmed that six students at the Accra Girls Senior High School tested positive. In addition, a teacher at the school together with his wife had also tested positive for the COVID-19.

Two other students from Odorgonor SHS equally tested positive for the disease in Accra.

In the Ashanti Region, three students at the Konongo Wesley SHS had tested positive for COVID-19.