The Director General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr. Patrick Kuma-Aboagye has assured that Ghana has not recorded the Omicron variant of the COVID-19.
This is in spite of reports on the emergence of the Omicron variant in some African countries.
Addressing the press on Sunday, the Dr. Kuma-Aboagye explained that based on recent tests and sequencing at the Kotoka International Airport, there’s no evidence to suggest that the new variant has found its way into the country.
Based on the bunch of about 160 samples which are currently being sequenced, Dr. Kuma-Aboagye said there has been no indication of the presence of the Omicron variant in any of these sequenced samples.
“Omicron. We have not identified one in Ghana. All people who have tested positive at the Airport are sequenced, their samples are sequenced. We also pick samples from our reference labs across the country, to do sequencing. Currently, they have a bunch of about a hundred and sixty (160) which they’re working on now, but there’s been no indication of Omnicron in Ghana. So all those messages flying around, it’s not true. There’s no case in Ghana”, Dr. Kuma-Aboagye revealed.
Touching on the new variant, Dr. Kuma-Aboagye further disclosed that there’s no evidence that the new variant can be transmitted through any new means, and therefore there’s the need for Ghanaians to continue to observe the relevant COVID-19 safety protocols involving social distancing, the wearing of face masks and the washing of hands amongst others.
Sunday’s presser at the Ministry of Information was for the Ghana Health Service and the Ministry of Health to provide updates on measures taken to prevent a fourth wave of infection in the country.
In this regard, the Ghana Health Service intimated that during the upcoming Yuletide festivities, it would be required of all citizens to provide proof of their vaccination, before they’re allowed entry into public places and gatherings.
The GHS also disclosed that government and other stakeholders will tighten the enforcement of the relevant safety protocols to avert the possibility of a spike in the number of infections.
Meanwhile, in Ghana, Greater Accra still remains the hotspot for the pandemic, despite an increased availability of vaccines in the last 4 weeks.
The country’s COVID-19 situation as of the 25th November, 2021, also stood at 131,082 confirmed cases; 129, 149 recoveries; 1220 deaths; 713 active cases and 22 severe cases with 0 critical cases.
A total of 1,980,369 tests have so far been done with an overall positivity rate of -6.6%. These figures were churned by the Ghana Health Service during Sunday afternoon’s presser.
