Central Regional ISD trains its officers on coronavirus

The Information Services Department (ISD) has organised a day's training workshop for its Municipal and District Information officers and commentators to educate the public on the novel Coronavirus.

Participants were trained on how to sensitize the public on the cause, symptoms, prevention of the COVID-19, Risk Communications and Working with the Media COVID-19 as well as implored the need for people to visit health centers should they experience those symptoms.

The symptoms included; high fever, running nose, possible headache, sore throat and breathing difficulties.

The Central Regional Director of Information Services Department (ISD), Mrs. Manacia Sefakor Asamoah said ISD has been put in front of the COVID-19 to disseminate Information on the pandemic to the public and therefore urged officers to diligently discharge their duties to the best in our fight against the spread of the virus.

Mrs. Manacia Sefakor who doubled as a facilitator during the training cautioned the public to stay away from using alcoholic beverages as a replacement for alcohol-based sanitizers in combating the COVID-19 as that has been ineffective to curtail the spread of the virus.

She stressed the need for the public to practice proper handwashing with soap under clean running water regularly.

Mrs. Sefakor Asamoah urged the officers to use all the channels available to educate the public on the need to prevent themselves from the virus.

She indicated that apart from human to human transmission, the virus could also be transmitted from infected sources like handling of gadgets, money and therefore entreat the populace to embrace regular hand washing and the use of 70% alcohol-based hand sanitizers to curb the spread of the virus.

She advised them as part of their strategy in education use the various Information centres, cinema vans to educate the public to understand the preventive measures and directives put in place to the combat COVID-19 in the region and Ghana as well.

She stressed the need for the public to cover their nose and mouth with their folded elbow anytime they sneezed or coughed and do well to observe social distancing at least one meter to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.

The Central Regional Health Director, Dr. Akosua Sarpong praised the ISD for such an important workshop and urged the officers to share the right information to the public in so doing promote calm and reduce fear.

A representative from the Global Peace Advocacy (GLOPA), Mr. Charles Gidisu who took participants through the innovative and hygienic way of washing hands, charged participants to avoid touching surface of items and urged all to encourage people to use electronic money as soon as possible in order to curb the spread of the virus.

The Central Regional Health Promotion Manager, Mr. Matthew Ahwireng underscored the role of ISD and therefore urged them to use the available platforms to educate the public by sharing the right information to the people.

The workshop ended with a demonstration on handwashing with soap under clean running water according to the World Health Organization (WHO) standards and followed by groups of five presentations on the Coronavirus.