By Naa Shormei Odonkor
Koforidua, June 19, GNA – The Eastern Region recorded 7,667 COVID-19 recoveries out of the 7,822 positive cases logged in the region from 2020 to June 2024.
However, 155 people translating two percent of the cumulative recorded positive cases lost their lives to COVID-19 within the same period.
Dr. John E. Otoo, the Eastern Regional Director of Public Health of the Ghana Health Service, disclosed this to the Ghana News Agency in an interview.
He mentioned that among the COVID-19-infected persons were 1,580 health workers and 919 students representing 20.2 per cent and 11.7 per cent, respectively.
The New Juaben South Municipality recorded the highest number of positive cases of 1,400 cases, and 64 deaths, followed by the Kwahu West with 778 and 19 deaths and the Lower Manya Krobo with 598 and three deaths among 33 infected districts in the region.
Dr. Otoo said the number of positive cases recorded in each district differed from the number of deaths recorded, adding that Denkyembour was third with 19 deaths after New Juaben South and Lower Manya Krobo.
The Eastern Regional Health Directorate adopted three systems for investigating COVID-19 cases, namely the Routine Surveillance System (RSS), Enhanced Surveillance System (ESS) and Contact Tracing.
About 25,876 suspected cases were logged through the three systems with 10,743 from Contact Tracing, 10,018 from RSS and 5,115 from ESS.
Dr. Otoo said from the beginning of this year to June 9, 2024, the region recorded 65 COVID-19-positive cases with three active cases which was by far the lowest number recorded since the invasion of the pandemic in 2020.
He also mentioned that the highest number of COVID-19 cases logged in the region were in 2021 with 4,192, followed by 2020 with 2,646 then 2022 by 820 and 2023 by 99.
Dr. Otoo said the region had a total bed capacity of 271 at COVID-19 various treatment centres where infected persons were attended to.
He said the drastic drop in COVID-19 cases in the region was due to efforts made by the health directorate to ensure strict adherence to all COVID-19 protocols.
Also, over 900,000 individuals in the region have been fully vaccinated with the COVID-19 vaccines and 1,227,526 others have received at least one vaccine.
Dr. Otoo urged every citizen who had attained the age of 15 years and above to be vaccinated to ensure some level of protection from being infected with the virus.
GNA