Health Minister Kwaku Agyeman-Manu has revealed that 15 ‘Aayalolo’ buses have been released by government to transport health workers to and from their posts on a daily basis.

According to the Minister, this gesture forms part of efforts to ease the lockdown burden on them.

“We have made available 15 ‘Aayalolo’ buses now in Accra and there are a number again in Kumasi”, Health Minister Kweku Agyeman-Manu told journalists on Tuesday, adding: “This operation started yesterday”.

The buses labelled ‘health staff’ are “strictly to be used by health workers”, the Minister said.

Some health workers and frontline staff raised concerns about the need for transportation arrangement be made as the country has locked some cities. Government in response has made some bus transport interventions.

The Minister said the buses will ply routes of some major hospitals and polyclinics in various parts of Accra.

“So, the 15 buses between Accra and Tema are operating on our major routes but we have asked them to go close to clinics where these workers are, to facilitate their movement. … We’ve given ample fuel and it looks like the operation worked very well yesterday.”

Accra, Tema, Kasoa, and Kumasi are currently on a lockdown, as part of measures by the government to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus.

Ghana’s Coronavirus case count has risen sharply to 287, an update by Ghana Health Service has revealed.

At the last count, confirmed Covid-19 cases stood at 214, implying 73 new persons have tested positive for the deadly virus.

The number of deaths, however, remain five.