The Health Minister is appealing to Ghanaians to give persons engaged in the contact tracing exercise access to their homes.

Kwaku Agyemang-Manu citing an incident that occurred at Jamestown-Bukom where some health officials were sacked from the community, he said such acts were hindering the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

“Last four days or so, the Director General told me that some of our young people who were doing contact tracing have been sacked when they went to a place in Jamestown or Bukom.

“Please they are coming in our own interest so if you sack them and there are affected people amongst you, there will be a problem,” he said.

Currently, Ghana’s case count stands at 2,719, according to the Ghana Health Service’s latest update.

While 919 out of this number were identified through general surveillance, 1,685 were identified through enhanced contact tracing.

For weeks, contact tracers have encountered difficulties convincing patients to comply with isolation protocols.

While some patients have fled their neighbourhood after their test results came back positive, others have refused to engage with the contact tracers.

Speaking at a press brief in Accra Tuesday, Mr Agyemang-Manu said such a development is dangerous and can lead to more people contracting the disease.

“We have people who are doing what is called contact tracing.  They will either call you or come to your home, so please give them space to do the work. Allow them to come into your home for our own good.

“If they invite you on the telephone, please pay attention to it and get to them. If they come to your house, treat them nicely, and allow them to take your sample so we can all stay protected from this disease.”

The Health Minister also used the opportunity to urge Ghanaians to stay home if they do not have urgent business to attend to in town.

He said while a person can choose to voluntarily contract the disease and die, most people want to stay alive, hence the responsibility to adhere to preventive tips and protocols outlined by his ministry and the World Health Organisation (WHO) is compulsory for all.

“Stay home if you are sick and I have also said that even if you are not sick, stay home. This is called self-isolation.

"If you develop symptoms like fever or cough or you are finding it difficult to breathe please call a doctor or move to the closest CHPs compound or hospital in your area.

“If anyone of us wants to contract the disease and die voluntarily, the rest of us don’t want to die so don’t bring your death to join us.

"Don’t think that you are protecting only yourself because by adhering to these protocols you are helping all of us,” he emphasised.