COVID Is Back …Health Minister Keeps Lips Zipped

Multiple cases of the dreaded Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has been confirmed among students of the University of Ghana in Accra, prompting the school’s authorities to issue a red-alert health notice on heightened precaution and preventive measures.

Academic activities have not been affected yet although all social gatherings have been suspended until a time the School’s health directorate deem fit to lift the ban.

Though the exact number of affected persons has not been made public yet, the development has sparked some anxiety not only within the University environment but also among the general public.

This is understandable because the University has a student population estimated to be over 60,000 with a majority of them as non-residential students who go home after classes to mingle with family and friends.

Since the University issued an official notice at the start of this week, Ghana’s Minister for Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, is yet to issue a statement on what proactive steps government would be adopting to prevent the spread of the highly contagious virus.

According to official date from the World Health Organization, (WHO) in the 28-day period from 12 May 2025 to 08 June 2025, 37 countries across four WHO regions reported new COVID-19 deaths.

The WHO report said during this 28-day period, a total of 936 new deaths were reported, which is a decrease compared to the 1,410 new deaths reported from 40 countries in the previous 28-day period

It said seven countries from the Americas, Europe, and South-East Asia showed an increase in new deaths of over 10%. In May 2025, 90% of reported deaths with age information occurred in the population aged 65 and over.

The Office of the Dean of Student Affairs  at the University of Ghana has directed all student organisations, including the Graduate Students’ Association of Ghana (GRASAG), the Students’ Representative Council (SRC), Junior Common Rooms (JCRs), and all departmental and school associations, to stop all planned events and week celebrations until further notice.

The statement, signed by Professor Rosina I. Kyerematen, Dean of Student Affairs, said the suspension of events is a safety step to protect everyone on campus.

“These measures have become necessary to safeguard the health and well-being of the University community,” the notice stated.

All student leaders and groups are expected to follow the new directive fully. The notice was also shared with the Pro Vice-Chancellor, the Director of Public Affairs, the Director of Safety and Security Services, hall authorities, senior tutors, department heads, hostel managers, and patrons of student groups.

Dean of Student Affairs, Professor Rosina Kyerematen, has told Citi FM that the directive affects only mass social gatherings and not formal academic activities.

“Lectures are not social gatherings. In a lecture room, students are seated and listening, not shouting or jumping. The risk of transmission is significantly lower compared to an event like an artiste night, where there’s loud excitement and close physical interaction,” Professor Kyerematen stated

She added that strict safety measures would be enforced to ensure that the lecture halls remain safe.

“We will ensure that students wear face masks in lecture rooms and maintain social distancing as much as possible,” she said.

The Ghana Health Service (GHS) on Thursday June 26 issued a public health notice after the rise in COVID-19 cases at the University.

The statement said though the World Health Organisation (WHO) no longer considers COVID-19 a global emergency, the GHS noted that Ghana had seen a decrease in cases for over a year.

However, the virus is still being monitored across all 16 regions, especially by the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research.

The recent rise in cases appears to be limited to the University of Ghana. So far, the cases are mild and no one has been hospitalised. Health authorities and the university are working together to handle the situation and adjust measures if necessary.

The GHS warned that even though this outbreak is currently localised, it shows that COVID-19 is still around and could come back from time to time, especially during certain seasons.

As a result, the GHS is asking the public to remain alert and follow basic health safety rules. These include: keeping a safe distance from others, wearing masks, especially in crowded or poorly ventilated places, washing hands often with soap and water or using hand sanitizer, staying home if feeling unwell, avoiding large gatherings and seeking medical help if symptoms appear.

Some common symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, weakness, shortness of breath, or loss of taste or smell.

They encouraged everyone, especially students and staff, to remain calm, cooperate, and continue practicing safe habits to avoid another major wave of infections.