The Keta Municipal Assembly has quarantined a cook of a Korean Fishing Vessel and five local fishermen over a COVID-19 scare.

The six were quarantined after the local fishermen rescued the cook at sea when he was allegedly thrown out of the Panafin a.ka. Sankofa Vessel following a misunderstanding with the crew.

Mr Godwin Effah, the Keta Municipal Chief Executive told the GNA that the fishermen rushed the cook, said to be about 40 years, to the Keta Municipal Hospital on suspicion of COVID-19, after crew members of the vessel dumped him in their canoe.

He said authorities of the Hospital with support from the Assembly, placed the cook and the fishermen under surveillance after taking a specimen of the cook for testing at the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research.

The MCE said the Municipal Security Council had heightened security and sensitization for prompt management of any COVID-19 case whilst urging the public to go by health protocols to keep safe.

He emphasized regular handwashing with soap under running water, the use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers and observing social distancing.

Mr Effah commended the locals for cooperating with the Assembly in the fight against COVID-19 and asked them to be more vigilant and isolate returnees from COVID-19 hit cities.