Director of the West African Center for Cell Biology and Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP), Professor Gordon Awandare, a fierce advocate for the reintroduction of restrictions and bans to control the spread of the COVID-19 virus, has advised against the closure of schools.
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His advice comes after the Delta variant of Coronavirus was recorded in the Achimota School. According to him, authorities should focus on enforcing COVID-19 safety protocols rather than closing schools.
“The solution to these rising numbers in schools is the enforcement of restrictions. Most of the cases being recorded is because there is a lapse in the controls. So there is a school gathering and there are lapses in enforcement and the students go there and a few people transmit it to others,” he told Samuel Eshun on the Happy Morning Show.
He emphasized that it will be impossible to get 100 percent compliance from students “but if you stay focused and keep insisting on it, the students will adapt to it eventually. If these safety protocols are enforced, a good percentage of students will respect it and the risk of spread will be reduced.”
Director Gordon Awandare earlier this week said the country will lose control over its COVID-19 fight if it keeps easing restrictions and lifting bans.
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He advised, “I think we need to reintroduce restrictions put in place to fight the pandemic for a period of a month or two so we don’t lose control.”
The parasitologist indicated that if the restrictions are not introduced timely, Ghana can suffer the fate of India.
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“India didn’t pay serious attention to fighting the pandemic when it reached their shores and still held religious events and gatherings. If we don’t take precautions and tread cautiously, things could end badly. Only 1 percent of the population has been vaccinated and if care is not taken, things will end badly for us.”
Ghana is said to have recorded the Delta Variant of the SARS-Cov-2 virus in a community after news broke that the variant had been detected at the Kotoka International Airport.
Six persons were reportedly picked up by the authorities for testing positive.
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The Delta variant, which originates from India, is known to be the most contagious among all the Coronavirus variants.