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GES blames the media for creating chaos at Accra Girls SHS

By Justice Kofi Bimpeh
Prof Kwasi Opoku-Amankwa
Prof Kwasi Opoku-Amankwa
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The Ghana Education Service, GES has blamed the media for creating chaos at Accra Girls SHS over confirmed cases of Covid-19.

Director-General for GES, Prof Kwasi Opoku-Amankwa said the action by the media was very needless.

"So far the parents who have called me are so excited about the measures put in place and how we are handling the issues. Unfortunately, the media helped create panic which for me was needless, the point is that the students who reported symptoms of Covid-19 the first report was on 29th June, I don't think at that time when somebody says this how I feel..."

The Ghana Education Service (GES) and the Ghana Health Service (GHS) in a joint statement also said it has put measures in place to contain the spread of COVID-19 at the Accra Girls Senior High School.

READ ALSO : COVID-19 in schools down to congestion - Kwaku Agyeman Manu

This was after 55 people including students at the Accra Girls’ Senior High School have tested positive for COVID-19.

This was disclosed by the Ghana Health Service (GHS) after it commenced a testing exercise at the school.

According to a joint statement by the Ghana Health Service and the Ghana Education Service (GES), 55 people tested positive out of 314 total tests done.

“As at 13th July, 2020, a total of 314 persons (student and staff) from the School have been tested. Out of these, 55 have been confirmed positive for COVID-19 while 259 persons tested negative,” the statement said.

The statement further indicated that all those who have tested positive have been sent to treatment centres.

The school confirmed six positive cases amongst students last week and it was later discovered that a teacher and his spouse had also tested positive for the disease.

This sparked protest among the student populace who insisted on going home.

At the same time, many parents thronged the premises of the school demanding that their children be allowed to go home due to the risk of remaining at the school.

But school authorities and authorities in government insisted that the school is better placed to manage the students and the risk associated with COVID-19 than being released to go home.