18 cases of coronavirus confirmed at Akuse Methodist SHS

Correspondence from Eastern Region

Health authorities in Lower Manya Krobo and the Eastern Regional Health Services are tight- lipped on an outbreak of the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic at the Akuse Methodist Senior High School.

18 cases have so far been confirmed in the school following the confirmation of three cases last week.

GhanaWeb sources disclosed that three students who showed symptoms of the disease while in school were sent to the Akuse Government Hospital where tests conducted on the students proved positive for coronavirus.

Subsequent tests on an unspecified number of students disclosed that 15 more of them were confirmed positive, bringing the total number of cases to 18.

“Last week there were three cases so their contacts were taken and now we have another 15 so in all there are now 18,” the source told GhanaWeb, adding that there were currently no critical cases.

The contacts of the new cases, GhanaWeb learnt are also being currently traced for further testing.

The infected students are presently in isolation on campus, receiving treatment. Health personnel from the district were in the school Monday morning to assess the condition of the students.

Municipal Director of Education at Lower Manya Krobo, Mr Williams Odoi, when contacted by GhanaWeb confirmed the outbreak of the disease in the school but said measures were put in place to curtail the situation.

“It [the outbreak] is just Akuse Methodist High. The head just came to me and informed me about it but already they have health facilities there just that those involved have been isolated and care being given to them,” he explained.

Asked if the situation has disrupted academic activities at the school, the education director said the school which recorded similar cases in 2020 is experienced in managing such a situation.

“Not at all because already you see that they [AMEST] have experience in managing it because this is not the first time. When they reopened first, they had cases but with time it subsided so I think they are under control. They have health facilities there and they are being taken care of,” said Mr. Odoi.

Meanwhile, academic activities are still ongoing, Municipal Health Director, Bismarch Sarkodie when contacted declined commenting on the situation and directed all enquiries to the Eastern Regional Director of Health Services, Dr Winfred Ofosu who also said he had not received any information on the situation in the said school and therefore could not speak to it.

Attempts by GhanaWeb to find out how school authorities are managing the situation didn’t yield any results as the assistant headmaster who was contacted via phone, refused to speak to the issue.