Accra, May 12, GNA – The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has identified Tema, Korle Klottey, Accra Metro, and Kpone Katamanso all in the Greater Accra Region as hotspots in the COVID-19 pandemic fight.
Dr Patrick Aboagye, the Director-General, GHS, noted that Tema Metro had become a major hotspot in the Region, which the GHS had to take a major look at.
He said as, at May 11, the Greater Region recorded 89 new cases; of which 40 came from routine surveillance and 49 from enhanced contact tracing.
Speaking on Tuesday in Accra at the Meet the Press Series, Dr Aboagye noted that so far 26 districts had been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in Greater Accra.
The breakdown of the new cases recorded within the Greater Accra include Korle Klottey 27, Kpone Katamanso 24, Accra Metro 10, Adenta four and Ga North four, La Madina Nkwatanang Municipal Assembly four.
The rest are Tema West four, Okai Kwei North three, Ablekuma West three, La Dade Kotopone two, Ga Central eight, Ashaiman one, and Shai Osudoku one.
These new cases are in addition to the 3,892 cases that were already in the Greater Accra Region in different places.
Concerning the national case count of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Director-General said data from the 11th of May, indicated that Ghana recorded 427 new cases, bringing the national total case count to 5,127; up from 4,700 cases reported in the last update.
He said the total new cases from the 9th of May were 277, then 160 for the 10th of May and 427 new cases for the 11th of May.
He explained that out of the 427 new cases, 272 of them had come from the Obuasi Township alone.
He noted that of the total national case count, 1,474 had come from their routine surveillance, while 3,538 were from their enhanced contact tracing surveillance, which the GHS would continue to do.
He said the total recoveries as at 11th May was 494 and that they had about 130 awaiting their second negative test, which would go a long way to increase the number of recoveries.
He said this brings national active cases to 4,611 (those that are still in management); declaring that 4,006 were currently responding to treatment and five were critically ill at their various health centres mainly in Accra.
Concerning the core cases by regions, Dr Aboagye said the Greater Accra recorded a total of 3,981; an increase of 89; whilst Ashanti had moved from 355 to 662 with the new cases of 307.
The Central Region had an increase of 27, bringing their total to 154.
The breakdown for the Central Region’s 27 new cases – Cape Coast alone 12, Ejumako one, Ewine one, Elmina three, Brem Ajona one, KEA six, and Baah Salvation Army Headquarters three.
The Western Region had three new cases (from the Secondi-Takoradi Metro), making its total to be now 52; the Eastern had no new case, so its total is still at 99, whereas the Volta Region had one new case in Ho.
He said the hotspots in the Volta Region were the Ketu South with 21 cases; adding that Kpando had one, Ho four, and Hohoe seven cases.
The other regions, namely Northern, Upper East, Upper West, North East, Bono, Bono East, Ahafo, Western North, Savannah, and Oti, recorded no new cases.
Dr Aboagye noted that within the period the main places where they had changes were Greater Accra, Ashanti, Central, and Western Regions.
He said the hotpots in (the Greater) Kumasi were the Kumasi Metro, Kwadaso Municipal, Suame, Oforikrom, and Aboaso.
Using the 272 cases, which was coming from Obuasi, a chunk of which had been traced to the Central Market, where a couple, who had tested positive and through their interactions with others had passed it on, Dr Aboagye cautioned the public that congested market places and lorry stations were serving as fertile grounds for the spread of the disease.
GNA