Active COVID-19 cases in Ghana at 'stagnant position' – GHS

COVID-19 records at the Ghana Health Service (GHS) since February 1, 2021 indicates that active cases are not increasing but high at a stagnant position.

According to the Director-General of the GHS, Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, although the number, compared to a fortnight ago was declining, "we are still at a very high point."

He said this at the a public engagement on the COVID-19 Vaccination Roll Out Plan in Accra on Friday [February 19, 2021].

“There has been a decline compared to what we had a week or two ago. The active cases are not increasing but high at a stagnant position.”

“Active cases rose to the highest point we’ve never seen before… over 8000. In the last week or two that adherence to protocol, the use of mask increased, we have seen a plateauing and now a decline. If we continue, we can see further decline.

“Today we are reporting a decline in our active cases…but as it is, we are still at a very high point. We have never reached 7000 before,” he said.

Dr Kuma-Aboagye said as at February 16, the number of active cases stood at 7,572 with 273 on admission. The number of deaths has however increased by three to 568.

He said out of the number of persons on admission, 29 were critical, 89 severe and 155 mild to moderate.

Breakdown

According to Dr Kuma-Aboagye, the country was recording an average of 500 to 750 cases per day.

The number of cases recorded since March now stands at 79,115 with 71,025 discharges or recoveries.

About 53 per cent of the active cases are concentrated in the Greater Accra Region, with the Ashanti and Western Regions recording 12 and 6.2 per cent of active cases respectively.

Although all the 16 regions have active cases, as at February 16, four regions had not reported any new cases.

KIA

According to Dr Kuma-Aboagye, the number of cases being recorded at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) have declined significantly.

“We are in the third week of February and we’ve recorded 59 cases as compared to 480 in January. That shows that the airport cases are declining,” he said.

Schools

He also noted that 566 cases had been recorded across the country since the reopening of schools in mid-January.

He said the cases were recorded in 139 schools.

He noted that only two regions – North East and Savannah Regions – had not reported any cases in schools.