COVID 19: How Prepared Are We?

Ghana in a matter of less than two weeks has recorded six cases of the deadly global pandemic-Corona Virus disease.

As at last Friday, the country’s records in respect of the disease stood at two, a development that appeared not so alarming although very worrying.

On Sunday, within two days, the Director of Public Health at the Ghana Health Service confirmed four more cases of the deadly coronavirus in the country giving us a sense that the disease is now closing in on us as nation.

In the view of Dr Badu Sarkodie who made the announcement of the four new cases, these new cases like the previous two were imported into the country.

Giving a breakdown of the new cases, Dr Sarkodie said on Friday, March 13, 2020, the Ashanti and Greater Accra Regions recorded two new cases.

One, a 56-year-old Ghanaian male who returned from a UK trip on March 4, reported himself to a health facility eight days after developing symptoms similar to that of COVID-19.

The second is a female student at the University of Ghana who travelled to the US. She was in that country for 10 days and returned on March 9.

A 42-year-old man is the third patient. Who also travelled to Switzerland and the UK and returned to Ghana on March 9.

The final case is also a 41-year-old Ghanaian who travelled to Turkey and Germany in the last 14 days, Dr Sarkodie indicated.

Already, The University of Ghana has suspended all interim assessment for students, effective March 15 until further notice.

Not only has the university suspended interim assessment, it has also put on hold lectures.

A circular issued by executives of the Students’ Representative Council (SRC) said, “the directive is in line with a statement from the Public Affairs Directorate suspending all gathering on campus, until further notice.”

We at THE PUBLISHER only see this action by the University as a sign of impending bad day if authorizes still continue to adopt this lackadaisical wait and see attitude as has been our approach to many national disasters including perennial floods.

The government and its allied agencies must go beyond the sexy talks and be up and doing because what appears to be assurances from them is not so assuring.

The paper holds that those tasked to man our boarders have done a good shoddy job for not being vigilant enough and for even allowing persons from countries that had long recorded cases of the COVID19 to enter.

We are only left to wonder why Ghana did not shut her boarders like the way Demark, Croatia, Estonia Finland and the others only to do so when the disease already entered here. Is it a case of shutting the stable only when the horses have bolted?