Parents and guardians have been urged to adhere to COVID-19 protocols to inspire their children and wards to protect themselves and others around them in schools.

Dr John Ekow Otoo, the Deputy Bono Regional Director, Public Health, who gave the advice, implored parents to teach their children proper handwashing with soap and frequent use of alcohol-based hand sanitisers to prevent the spread of the viral disease.

Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Sunyani, Dr Otoo said because children easily followed the behaviour of their parents, it was imperative for parents to always wear nose or face masks to motivate their children to do so.

He emphasised though the region had not recorded any suspected COVID-19 infection among school children in the region, since school re-opened the school environment could trigger the spread of the pandemic if children were not well protected.

Hence the need for parents and guardians to provide alcohol-based sanitisers and nose masks to their children before they left home for school.

Dr Otoo explained that the COVID-19 Regional Response Team, in collaboration with School Health Coordinators of the Ghana Health Service, had put in place pragmatic measures and intensified monitoring to reduce the risk of infection in schools.

He, therefore, called on educational authorities to ensure that all suspected cases of the COVID-19 were immediately reported to the response team for attention and advised the public to avoid self-medication when they fell sick.

On the use of hand sanitisers, Dr Otoo advised the public to use enough sanitisers to rub their hands and between their fingers before the alcoholic content dried up.

He said the GHS and health workers were doing their best to prevent the spread of the disease in schools and the Region and appealed to everybody to adhere to the health safety protocols for their good.