Dr Emmanuel Kofi Dzotsi
Dr Emmanuel Kofi Dzotsi, the Upper East Regional Director of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), says the Region recorded five new cases of COVID-19 as at July 31, 2021.
“About a month ago, we were not having cases, but just a week ago, we started recording cases. So Upper East has recorded five new cases and all of them are being managed well,” he said.
“I would want to use this opportunity to inform members of the public that the resurgence of the COVID-19 is real,” he added.
Dr Dzotsi disclosed this in an interview with journalists in Bolgatanga on the side-line of the Biennial General Conference of the Ghana Registered Midwives Association.
He said the GHS in the Region had activated all response measures, “We have activated the Public Health Emergency Management Team and all the District Public Health Management Committees have also been activated to check the spread of the virus in the Region.
He further reiterated the need for members of the public to continue to adhere strictly to the COVID-19 protocols, “We call on transport unions to ensure that all their passengers wear face masks during the period of travel”.
Dr Dzotsi also called on stakeholders including traditional and religious leaders to continue to join the fight against the virus.
He said health professionals were prepared to handle cases of COVID-19 across the Region and advised that “If you have fever, you are coughing and not feeling well, report to the nearest health facility to ensure that we start early treatment”.
He said early treatment prevented complications which could lead to death, and emphasized that “We don’t want anybody to die from COVID-19, so let’s strictly adhere and report to the nearest facility for care”.
Asked if the Region had the capacity to investigate for the new COVID-19 variant, Dr Dzotsi said “For now, the laboratory centres that we have cannot investigate for the new variant. We need to send the samples to Noguchi Medical Research Institute in Accra”.
He said for the normal COVID-19 investigation, the “Upper East Region is fortunate to have three centres for testing, the Regional Hospital, the Navrongo Research Centre and the Bawku Presbyterian Hospital”.
He said samples of the five infected persons had been sent to the Noguchi Medical Research Institute to investigate for the new COVID-19 variant, “Testing for the new variant takes some time, so we are waiting for the results”.
Dr Dzotsi noted there were no special precautionary measures for members of the public to observe for the new variant, saying “The precaution is the same. We must make sure we wash our hands with soap under running water, ensure social distancing, and put on the face mask”.