We need a quarantine centre in Ketu South - GHS

Health officials in the Ketu South Municipality are calling for a designated place in the Municipality to quarantine people suspected to be infected with COVID -19.

The call follows a report of the arrest and mandatory quarantine of a Ghanaian returnee from South Africa who unlawfully entered the country from Togo.

The officials said the Municipality, which is home to Ghana’s busiest border at Aflao with various unapproved routes of entry and exit to neighbouring Togo, was strategic in the battle against the pandemic and so ought to have a quarantine centre.

This came up during a Public Health Emergency Management Committee (PHEMC) meeting on Wednesday, to discuss efforts and activities the Directorate had taken in terms of its preparedness in the wake of COVID-19, the challenges and the way forward.

Mr. Joseph Kwami Degley, Ketu South Municipal Director, Ghana Health Services (GHS) underscored the importance of a quarantine centre in the area to contain and prevent the spread of the virus in the country.

He said the government could not afford the health risk involved in having to transport "illegal travellers" into the country through the Municipality for testing at faraway locations, saying that would undermine the fight against the pandemic.

Though Ghana had closed its borders (air, land and sea) to people as precautionary measures to avoid further importation of the virus into the country, people are reportedly using unapproved routes to enter and exit the country.

Mr Frederick Baah Duodu, Aflao Sector Commander, Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that the country’s eastern border at Aflao had been closed, but the porous borderline between Ghana and Togo made travellers use unapproved routes for entry and exit and warned, the Sector had intensified security at all the routes and started clamping down on recalcitrant travellers.

Mr Elliot Edem Agbenorwu, Municipal Chief Executive for the area said the Assembly was working hard to find a befitting dedicated facility in the Municipality to quarantine people to aid the COVID-19 fight.