Schools not reopening soon – Kojo Oppong Nkrumah

The Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, has denied media reports that schools will soon reopen amid the coronavirus outbreak.

Addressing the media Thursday, May 21, Mr. Oppong Nkrumah said those reports were false.

According to him, the government had only started engaging teacher unions, parents, and other relevant stakeholders on what it takes to reopen schools to ensure the safety of teachers and students.

“There was a media report which said schools to reopen soon. With all due respect, that is not true… Consultations of what it takes to reopen schools as part of the potential easing of the general restrictions that we’re living under are what have started,” he said at the news conference.

On his part, Director-General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr. Patrick Kuma Aboagye, disclosed that a total of six persons who contracted the virus are in Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

He added that none of the six was on a ventilator.

As part of measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus, the government placed some restrictions on movements across the country.

Schools were shut, religious activities and all social or public gatherings were also put on ice. Funerals were, however, allowed but with a caveat of only 25 people in attendance.

Ban on public gatherings extended for another two weeks

Following the imposition of these restrictions, some interest groups have pushed for the restrictions to be lifted. But, analysts have kicked against any intended move to lift the restrictions on movements especially at a time where the country continues to record increasing numbers of COVID-19 infections.

As of May 21, 2020, Ghana’s COVID-19 case count stood at 6,269 with 1,898 recoveries. The case count increased from 6,096. This means 173 new cases had been detected.

Thirty-one others have died from the disease.

President Akufo-Addo shut the country’s borders until May 31, 2020, as part of moves to curb the importation of coronavirus cases. The border closure, however, did not affect cargo and emergency flights.

The Greater Accra Region tops the list of regions infected with the novel coronavirus, COVID-19 with a total of 4,582 recorded cases.

It is followed by the Ashanti Region with 921 infections and the Central Region placing third on the list of regions with COVID-19 with a total of 285 reported cases.

Below is the list of regions with COVID-19 cases