COVID-19 outbreak: ‘We’ve beaten bigger waves before; we can do it again’ — Health Minister

Minister of Health and Member of Parliament for Juaboso, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh

The Minister of Health and Member of Parliament for Juaboso, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has assured Ghanaians that there is no cause for panic over the recent COVID-19 cases recorded at the University of Ghana.

Addressing Parliament on Tuesday, July 1, the Minister said the virus variant is not new as the country has dealt with worse outbreaks before.

“Mr. Speaker, I want to assure Ghanaians that this is not a new virus, and we are not back to 2020. This Omicron variant has been with us before. It spreads fast, yes – but it is mostly mild. And we know how to manage it.

“We’ve beaten back bigger waves before, and we can do it again—with calm, cooperation, and good public health practices,” he said.

Providing updates on the outbreak, Mr. Akandoh said 316 suspected cases had been reported so far, out of which 107 were confirmed as COVID-19.

All the confirmed cases, the minister noted, are within the University of Ghana community.

“There are no hospitalisations. And importantly, no deaths. All confirmed cases are recovering well,” the Minister stated.

He attributed the outbreak to overcrowding during recent hall week celebrations, where large crowds gathered without observing basic safety protocols.

Mr. Akandoh also pointed to a decline in adherence to COVID-19 protocols and difficulties with contact tracing as contributing factors.

On government response, the Minister disclosed that a national health team had been deployed to work with university and municipal authorities.

“We are not stopping there. Additional steps underway include: supporting Legon Hospital and the Student Clinic with more resources, and preparing the Ghana Infectious Disease Centre to handle severe cases—if any occur,” he added.