General News of Saturday, 11 July 2020

Source: pulse.com.gh

13 final year SHS students in four schools test positive for coronavirus

There has been calls for schools to shut down to curb the spread of the coronavirus There has been calls for schools to shut down to curb the spread of the coronavirus

So far, about thirteen final year senior high school students in the country have tested positive for coronavirus just weeks after re-opening.

The Deputy Minister of Education, in charge of Basic and Secondary Education, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, confirmed that six students at the Accra Girls Senior High School tested positive adding that a teacher at the school together with his wife had also tested positive for the COVID-19.

Speaking to media, he mentioned that two other students from Odorgonor SHS equally tested positive for the virus and in the Ashanti Region, three students at the Konongo Wesley SHS had tested positive for the COVID-19.

In the Central Region, the Mfantsipim School recorded two confirmed cases of the COVID-19.

He stated that the students had been isolated to curb the spread of the virus.

According to him, 648 contacts tracing had been done and the people had been isolated, with a number of them tested by the Ghana Health Service.

Meanwhile, the Minority in Parliament has called on the government to close schools again after some senior high school students in the country contracted the coronavirus

The Member of Parliament for Builsa South, Dr. Clement Apaak said: "If the real motive to reopen schools is for final year students to prepare to write their final examinations, then a second look at this motive in the face of rising cases and reported cases in some schools is warranted."

In a statement, it said "We must prioritize the lives of the students, after all, how can sick or dead students write exams. The examinations can be postponed but the safety of our future leaders cannot be postponed.

"In the last few days, Ghana recorded over 750 and over 690 cases per day. This does not provide any parent the comfort to assume the safety of their children."

He added: "We are of the firmest conviction that as a nation we must not wait until it is too late to do anything. Our students need to be protected from the high risks of exposure. As can be seen, the Akufo-Addo government has failed to contain the virus."