The Eastern Regional Minister, Seth Acheampong, has expressed worry over the surge in Covid-19 cases in the region.

He blames it largely on nightlife activities where, he says, people disregard the safety protocols on Covid-19 as if the virus was not in existence.

He mentioned towns including the capital, Koforidua and Akropong, as places in the region residents visit drinking bars, night clubs among others, in large numbers without any regard for the safety protocols.

"Ladies and gentlemen, when you visit some places in the region, especially in Koforidua and Akropong at night, you will be surprised that there's a total disregard for the safety protocols.

"People go about doing their own things, visit the drinking spots and what have you, and you will understand what I am talking about. They do their things as if the Covid had vanished," he lamented.

The Minister said this at a Public Health Emergency Management Committee meeting on Covid-19 at the Eastern Regional Coordinating Council.

The meeting was attended by leaders of Faith-Based Organizations, Traditional authorities, Market Queens, and Transport Organisations.

He asked them to intensify educating their members on the Covid-19 protocols as the number of active cases and deaths are on the rise in recent times.

He also charged the security personnel to enforce the pandemic protocol to the latter to reduce the spread.

According to him, the meeting was necessary following the current upsurge of the Covid-19 delta variant causing more hospitalisation and deaths in the country.

"The region has had some spots of infection especially in some Senior High Schools in the Kwahu West Municipality; as such, there was the need for all to come on board and share ideas for the good of the region," he stated

The Eastern Regional Director of Ghana Health Service, Dr Winfred Ofosu, stated that there has been a lot of meeting with a lot of surveillance and contact tracing, but the challenge was that many people in the region were not observing the safety protocols.

He pointed out that vaccination has not been carried out by all in the region. For that matter, observing the Covid-19 safety protocols would minimize the rate of transmission and infection.

The Deputy Director of Public Health, Dr John Ekow Otoo, in a presentation, stated that the Eastern Region has recorded 2,555 positive cases this year with a total of 191 active cases, the case fatality was 2.1%, and the age ranged from 29-94 years.

He indicated that more health workers and students have been infected, and the hospitals did not have enough quarantine facilities; hence, isolation was done in homes of affected persons.

Dr Ekow Otoo also tasked the security agencies to support the enforcement of mask-wearing while urging the Regional Coordinating Council to make available PPEs and tablets for data management and other logistics, including sample kits and ventilators.

Members of the committee, on their part, unanimously suggested measures such as periodic fumigation of public places, sensitization programs, and enforcement of the Covid-19 safety protocols to stop the spread of the delta variant.