The Research Center for Policy Advocacy and Governance (ReCPAG), a civil society organization (CSO), has advised the government to act decisively to close down basic schools in the country.

It said this was critical to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in schools, some of which had already recorded a considerable number of confirmed cases after the re-opening of basic schools in January 2021.

“We wish to call on the President to take the bull by the horn and close our basic schools as we continue to study the science and data of the new COVID-19 variants,” a statement issued and signed by Mr Mumuni Believer Likpalmor, Executive-Director, ReCPAG, stated.

The statement, a copy of which was made available to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Kumasi, said the infection rate of the new variants was alarming amongst children as estimated by the Ghana Health Service (GHS).

According to the GHS, the country has recorded 142 COVID-19 confirmed cases in middle and high schools since their re-opening in January, with 56 of the cases being confirmed in 23 schools in the Greater Accra Region.

“The particular reason is that government has failed to supply enough protective items to most schools to help contain the growing spread and surge of the virus among school children,” the statement bemoaned.

This development, it said, had left many parents living in a state of apprehension, stressing that the right thing ought to be done to protect the Ghanaian child.

The statement cautioned that given the deadly nature of the new variants, care must be taken before things get out of hand.

Meanwhile, authorities of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) Basic Schools have announced the resumption of academic work, following the temporary closure of the schools recently.

A statement signed by Mrs Margaret Dzisi, the Deputy Registrar in-charge of Academic Affairs, KNUST, indicated that the move was necessitated by the suspension of the industrial action by the National Executive Council of the Senior Staff Association of Universities of Ghana.