Facemask wearing is low in market centres, lorry parks and traffic intersections - GHS

A survey conducted by the Ghana Health Service (GHS) on January 29, this year, to assess the adherence to wearing of facemasks in the Greater Accra Region revealed that incorrect wearing of facemasks was high in market centres, lorry parks, traffic intersections, and under heads.

The survey revealed three communities in the Region where people did not wear facemasks correctly as Nima Market (73.6%), Glife Lorry Station (73.2) and Osu Market Entrance (71.6%).

The research was conducted in six districts and 43 communities in the Region including; Ayawaso West, Ayawaso East, Accra Metropolitan Area, Ablekuma Central and Korle Klottey.

Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, the Director-General of the GHS, who announced this in Accra on Tuesday, during the COVID-19 Media Update, said generally, facemasks wearing had improved, compared to the situation in October last year, which saw 72 percent of the people not wearing masks.

In the January 29th survey, it showed that the wearing of facemasks had increased from 10 percent to 42 percent, while those not wearing nose masks correctly declined from 72 percent to 36 percent.

Seventy-eight (78) percent of people had the intention to use facemasks out of which 42 percent wore them correctly. Twenty-two (22) percent of the people did not wear facemasks at all.

Comparing male and female adherence to facemask wearing, it revealed that 43.1 percent of males wore masks correctly as against 41.3 percent by females.

Considering the proportion of adults and children who wore facemasks, it revealed that 43.5 percent of children wore facemasks as against 42.0 percent by adults.

Ayawaso West District registered the highest number of people wearing facemasks correctly registering 57.3 percent whilst Ga West District recorded the lowest with just 29.1 percent.

Some communities that recorded the highest number of people wearing masks correctly included the University of Ghana entrance(78.8%), Okponglo(81.2%) and GCB Tower Street (74.7%).

Meanwhile, Dr Kuma-Aboagye announced that 11 out of 200 suspected cases of COVID-19 among children under five years at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) tested positive for the virus and currently receiving treatment.

He thus, entreated everyone to strictly observe the preventive and safety protocols to help curb the spread of the virus.

He encouraged people to sit in well ventilated areas,instead of air-conditioned spaces in confined places.