Dr Senanu Kwesi Djokoto, Deputy Volta Regional Director, in-Charge of Public Health, says the Region has recorded a total of 37 cases of COVID-19 pandemic in the past two weeks with one death.

He said Ho has 19 cases, South Tongu eight cases, Hohoe five cases, North Tongu two cases while Ketu South and Ketu North have one case each.

Dr Djokoto in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) said out of the 37 new cases recorded, 33 were mild while four were moderately ill, and were being taken care of at the treatment centres.

He said they had begun contact tracing of all the cases to ensure that people who came into contact with them were identified, tested, and "if necessary quarantined until they are negative."

Dr Djokoto said the Region, since the inception of the outbreak of the pandemic in the country, had recorded a total of 807 cases, with 758 recoveries and 13 deaths.

The Deputy Director said the recent spike in the cases was as a result of citizens' relaxation in adherence to the safety protocols, disclosing that the Region had no active case about a month ago.

He lamented the total disregard for the safety and preventive protocols in some parts of the Region as people went about without their masks on and not observing social distancing.

Dr Djokoto admonished citizens to continue to observe the laid down safety and preventive measures to stem the spread of the disease as "we are beginning to see a trend where young people without any underlying health conditions dying from COVID-19."

He said health facilities were equipped to enable nurses and doctors to respond timely and effectively to the cases with routine surveillance also ongoing in all Municipal and District Assemblies as well as the borders.

Dr Djokoto said the Region currently had treatment centres in Ho, Battor, Hohoe, Aflao, and Adidome and Intensive Care Unit to deal with the situation.

He called on all to adhere to the protocols of hand hygiene, wearing of masks, and social distancing as a collective effort required to ensure that the recent trend was reversed to avoid any imposition of social restrictions.