There was spontaneous massive jubilation amidst singing, dancing and thanksgiving to God by the people of Apam when 33 of the 37 people who came into contact with an infected COVID-19 person, tested negative for the disease.

The contact tracing and subsequent quarantining of the people by the Gomoa West District Health COVID-19 Team, followed their coming into contact with a young man who escaped from a quarantine center in the Eastern Region to his family at Apam.

Nana Bonsu Appiah, Apam Community Chief Fisherman, in an interview with the GNA said the District Health Directorate had information about the young man, traced and picked him up and later traced all his contact persons and had their samples taken for testing.

Twenty-five of the 33 who tested negative are fishermen who have been released and are currently with their families, actively going about their routine work without any stigmatisation.

Nana Appiah advised: “We are not in normal times and as life is essential we should not take the COVID-19 for granted since it is no respecter to any person, but we must continue to respect the directives given to protect ourselves and others from contracting the pandemic”.

According to him, he and his elders had intensified education on the pandemic through their local information center at the beach to ensure that everyone including fishermen, fishmongers and buyers observed the social distancing and the wearing the nosemasks and regular hand washing to help prevent the spread of the virus in the community.

He thanked the Assembly, the Chiefs, the District Health Committee and all who in diverse ways supported all the people who were traced and quarantined and urged people in the area to change their lifestyle and strictly observe the protocols.

Nana Appiah prayed that those who have tested positive will soon be healthy to join the community to contribute their quota towards the development of the area.

Later in an interview with some of those quarantined, they stated that they were gripped with fear when they were picked up, but when the results came and they tested negative all their fears were gone.

They encouraged the entire community to protect themselves against the disease, adding that they should not entertain fears in case they were quarantined but remain calm to know their status.