Accra Girls SHS: 648 Covid-19 Contacts Identified

A total of 684 contacts who came into contact with some eight persons who tested positive for COVID-19 at the Accra Girls Senior High School have been identified by health officials.

This was disclosed by a Deputy Minister of Education, Dr. Yaw Adutwum at a press conference organized by the Information Ministry on Tuesday, July 7, 2020.

“At this point, 648 contacts have been identified and a number of them have been tested,” the Deputy Minister said.

Six students of the Accra Girls SHS, a teacher and his spouse have tested positive for COVID-19 two weeks after final year students were allowed to return to school to prepare for their exit exams.

Some parents thronged the premises of the Accra Girls SHS yesterday, July 6, 2020, seeking to return their wards back home following the COVID-19 situation at the school.

Dr. Adutwum at the press briefing allayed the fears of the parents saying the situation has been put under control.

“A [COVID-19] case was reported to the health bay of a very distinguished school in Accra serving young women on June 29, 2020. A student who was unwell reported. Of course, they were quickly identified that it might be symptoms of COVID-19. Subsequently, other students started showing similar symptoms and they were all quickly quarantined prior to the testing and test results came in and we have six students who tested unfortunately positive for COVID-19. They were immediately isolated and taken care off and parents were informed to bring down the anxiety. An instructor and wife who tested positive have also been isolated.”

“I can understand why some parents went to the school to take their children home, but taking your child away at this point is not a very good option…So as I speak to you now, we are on top of the medical side of things and the Ghana Education Service is also on the education side of things,” he added.

The Deputy Education Minister further said counsellors have been brought on board to help boost the morale of the students so teaching and learning could go on.

“We understand that, in the midst of all the anxiety, it is difficult for students to learn, but counsellors are on-site now looking at ways that they can help the students recompose themselves and begin the preparations ahead.”

Accra Girls SHS students demonstrate, parents storm school after COVID-19 infections

On Monday, July 6, 2020, students of Accra Girls Senior High school protested to put pressure on the management of the school to allow them to go home following the COVID-19 situation at the school.

The students, who gathered outside their classrooms, kept chanting: “We'll go home.”

But police officers were deployed to the school to prevent some agitated parents who stormed the area from entering the premises of the school.