Covid-19: Backlog of cases cause of hike in Western Region – Reg. Health Director

 
Western Regional Director of Health Services, Dr. Jacob Mahama, says the sudden spike in cases is as a result of backlog of cases in the region.
The Director-General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr Patrick Kumah Aboagye, during the covid-19 update on Tuesday 26^th May 2020 said Western Region is the new hotspot for the coronavirus pandemic.
He said a medical team has been dispatched to assess and assist the region to enhance contact tracing and reach containment.
The Western Region has in all recorded 352 cases of the covid-19 pandemic with 6 recoveries. One person has also died of the virus in the region.
Speaking on Atinka FM’s AM Drive with host Ekourba Gyasi, Western Regional Director of Health Services, Dr. Jacob Mahama explained that the region now has its own testing laboratory and so testing of cases has been enhanced.
According to him, Western Region did not have a testing center initially hence the region had backlogs which has  increased the number of cases in the region.
Asked whether the non-adherence to the safety protocols is the cause of the increase in cases and subsequent pronouncement of the region as a hotspot, Dr. Jacob Mahama said the clearing of the backlog is the major reason for the spike in cases.
“There was an instance where a newspaper vendor who distributes the papers to offices and some institutions got infected, when we conducted contact tracing some people in the offices where he distributes the papers were also infected. The main reason for the surge is the backlogs which have been cleared”, he added.
He called on the General public, especially residents in the Western Region to strictly adhere to the laid down safety precautions.
Ghana has recorded a total of 7,117 cases of the Coronavirus pandemic with 2,317 recoveries.
The death toll is pegged at 34.
 
Ghana | Atinkaonline.com | Vivian Adu Boatemaa