President Nana Akufo-Addo will decide by December 30, 2020, whether or not nursery, kindergarten, primary, Junior High School (JHS) 1 and Senior High School (SHS) 1 pupils and students should return to school after taking briefings from the COVID-19 Technical Taskforce, Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah has announced.

The schools have remained closed since March this year after the COVID-19 pandemic was first detected in Ghana.

Mr Oppong Nkrumah told journalists at a press briefing on Tuesday, 22 December 2020 that Cabinet will be taking that decision.

“We know that parents are anxious – rightly so. Many of us are parents but schools have to be opened in a careful manner so that we do not have a second wave of infection”, he said.

According to him, “the President is just about to take a final decision”, adding: “He continues to gather both the reports and scenarios. By the 30th when the cabinet is done, a firm decision will be taken.”

Ghana’s active COVID-19 cases, according to the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr Patrick Kumah-Aboagye, is currently 933.

So far, 333 people have succumbed to the virus.

Dr Kumah-Aboagye warned Ghanaians to be extra careful during the festive season so as to forestall further spread of the disease.

“We are going to have a lot of social activities: weddings, churches, the places of worship are also going to be full. We advise that safety protocols are adhered to, social distancing, washing of hands, we must wear our masks all the time, provide safe and running water, etc.”