Dr Patrick Kumah-Aboagye, The Director-General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), says his outfit is putting measures in place to ensure strict adherence to the Covid-19 safety protocols at the Kotoka International Airport ahead of the Christmas season.
Another variant of the coronavirus has been detected. The Omicron’ variant was first detected by South African scientists.
The variant has, however, has been found in several countries around the world.
There have been unfounded claims that the virus has been detected in Ghana.
Addressing the general public in a covid-19 update presser, the Director General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye said GHS and the Kotoka International Airport will scale up surveillance measures to ensure that Covid-19 infections do not increase as persons troop in to spend the festive season in Ghana.
He noted that the mistakes that led to the the surge in infections in January this year, will not be repeated.
Read Also: COVID-19: Omicron not in Ghana- Ghana Health Service
“There is going to be a “strict enforcement of the protocols at the KIA. We are going to increase surveillance. We are expecting increased number of people to arrive in the country. We are going to ensure that our logistics are prepared, we will continue our surveillance to be able to look at that, we are going to look at isolation centres. Our contact tracing will be strengthened.”
“We are going to engage with religious organizations to ensure that activities in done in Christmas are in accordance with Covid protocols,” Dr Patrick Kumah-Aboagye told the media.
Meanwhile, Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, has also debunked claims of ‘Omicron’ variant in Ghana.
“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 160 which they’re working but there’s been no indication of Omicron in Ghana. So, all those messages flying around, it’s not true. There’s no case in Ghana,” he added.
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