A Public Health Specialist at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital has emphasised strict enforcement of Covid-19 protocols and restrictions on mass gatherings as the Easter festivities draw closer.

According to Dr Joshua Arthur, the country should not rest on its oars, despite the reduction in cases. He says Ghanaians will need to be modest and cautious in celebrating this year’s Easter to avoid a spike in Covid cases.

“The numbers are never meant to tell us that it’s time to take chances or it’s time to relax, that’s not how we want to read the numbers,” he said.

“Clearly, as we have festivities around the corner, we need to bear in mind that a few months ago, we took chances and this [upsurge] is what happened and then advise ourselves that we do not want to do this.”

At the beginning of the year, treatment centres in the region, including the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) got flooded with patients.

Speaking on “Luv in the Morning” with David Akuetteh on Thursday, Dr. Arthur observed the treatment centres have now seen a reduction in Covid-19 cases.

“The treatment centres are not overflowing as they were, back in January. A bit of that too may be, we sort of getting back to the drawing board, observing the protocols, as well as the interim ban that has been placed on a few other activities like funerals and the rest,” he said.

“I do remember around Kumasi especially, there was a bit of enforcement about nightclubs, people gathering in the evening at pubs and all that, so I believe that down the line, all that has contributed to the reduction in the number of cases that we’re seeing” he added.

Ghana’s Covid-19 cases currently stands at 89,893, with 86,248 recoveries, 2,911 active cases, 106 new cases and 734 deaths. 

“There is no predetermined projection for an infectious disease like Covid-19, it is totally responsive to our behaviour. The numbers mean nothing, it is our behaviour that results in the numbers that we see,” Dr Arthur said.

“We have to take decisions or reinforce our behaviour based on the numbers; so, if we’re doing something that is making the numbers go down, then the lesson is, keep doing this or even do it better.”

In February, Ghana received 600,000 AstraZeneca vaccines from the WHO/COVAX Facility and information from the Ghana Health Service indicates about 500,000 persons have since been inoculated.

The KATH Specialist further asserted the ongoing vaccination should not be regarded as absolute protection.

“We’ve started vaccination and so we’re okay but if we’re not careful, that will be our little fall from grace. We’ve not yet had the full protection that we need from our vaccination. Much more importantly, a larger chunk of our population, the population growth that will even go out to have fun and all that have not even been vaccinated across the country,” he concluded.