A nurse prepares a dose of the AstraZeneca/Oxford Covid-19 vaccine at the Edouard Herriot hospital on February 6, 2021 in Lyon, after the top French health authority on February 2, 2021 cleared AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine for use, but advised against giving it to people over 65. (Photo by OLIVIER CHASSIGNOLE / POOL / AFP) (Photo by OLIVIER CHASSIGNOLE/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Minister for Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has updated Parliament on a recent spike in COVID-19 cases at the University of Ghana, assuring the public that the situation is under control and there is no cause for panic.
Delivering a statement on the floor of Parliament on Tuesday, July 1, Mr Akandoh said that although COVID-19 is no longer a global health emergency, it continues to pose occasional risks.
He disclosed that 107 confirmed cases have been recorded out of 316 suspected, all traced to the Omicron sub-variant. No hospitalisations or deaths have been reported.
The outbreak, according to the minister, was detected through Ghana’s national disease surveillance system and confirmed by the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research.
It remains confined to the University of Ghana community, with the rise in infections linked to recent Hall Week celebrations where COVID-19 safety protocols were largely ignored.
He also noted that while COVID-19 vaccination is no longer part of routine immunisation, efforts are underway to secure vaccines for vulnerable groups.
Mr Akandoh also reported ongoing surveillance of other health threats, including seasonal flu, cholera, and MPOX, with 133 confirmed MPOX cases but no deaths.
Below is the full statement:
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