Seventy-five Senior High School (SHS) students in the Western Region have tested positive to COVID-19,  which has affected 14 educational institutions in the region.

The students, who tested positive for the disease, form part of 324 students, whose samples have been collected for testing by health authorities.

Nsein SHS in the Nzema East municipality has the highest of 26 positive cases, followed by Shama SHS, 19, Adiembra and Asankragwa Nursing and Midwifery Training School, six each, Archbishop Porter, four and St Augustine’s SHS, Bogoso, three.

Others are Ahantaman SHS, St John’s, and Sekondi College, two each, while, Fijai SHS, Prestea SHS, Fiaseman SHS, Huni Valley SHS and the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT) had one each.

Nsein SHS recorded the highest negative cases of 56 out of the 82 samples collected at the school, Archbishop Porter recorded 23 negative cases with 72 pending results out of the 99 samples collected.

The Western Regional Director of Health Service, Dr Jacob Mahama, released the report on COVID-19, at a media encounter held in Sekondi.

He said the Tarkwa -Nsuaem municipality, during the period, recorded 566 suspected cases, 639 positive cases with 4,627 negative cases while 1,342 cases were pending out of the 6,608 samples collected.

Dr Mahama said Sekondi -Takoradi recorded 1,682 suspected cases, 1,860 negatives, 632 positives, with 992 cases pending out of the 3,414 samples taken.

“Wassa Amenfi West recorded 387 suspected cases, 370 negatives, 442 positives with 102 pending out of the 914 samples taken while Effia- Kwesimintsim also had 255 suspected cases, 431, negatives, 275 positives, while 151 cases are pending out of the 857 sample taken,” he said.

Dr Mahama said the report showed that there were 4,474 suspected cases, 8,994 negatives, 2,467 positives with 4,330 cases pending, while 11,317 contacts had been traced out of the 11,399 listed.

For the regional summary as at June 30, he, said, the Regional Situational Reported (SITREP) showed 1,556 confirmed cases, 1,464 discharged and with three dead.

Dr Mahama indicated that “the directorate will continue to operate in order to render our invaluable healthcare services to all and sundry in our dear region and country”.

He said, “The health sector has been badly affected by the restrictive nature of the preventive protocols that we all need to observe to survive the pandemic and stop the spread to others that have not been affected.”

Dr Mahama said the Ghana Health Service had put in place measures to protect its workers, including a shift system for non-clinical and administrative staff, holding of meetings by ZOOM and teams, training of staff in Infection prevention and control protocol, and strictly adhering to the President’s preventive protocol on the disease.