Securities stationed at the Chache border in the Bole District of Savannah Region have bemoaned the lack of port health officials at the border which is an entry point to Côte d’ivoire.
Mr. Cudjoe Nyame, a senior revenue officer of the Customs in Bole disclosed this to the media in an interview on the measures put up by the agencies at the border to contain the outbreak of the COVID-19 in the country.
Mr. Nyame said, port health officials play a major role at our borders but the Chache border lacks these officers who are suppose to screen people entering Ghana or Cote d’ivoire through that route.
Based on the requirements of the International Health Regulations, port health officers are to be the first to attend to traveler’s moving in and out of the county.
This is to prevent transmission of diseases to contacts and outbreaks which could affect many people and have an economic implications in the country heath service.
The role of the port health officer cannot be underestimated, Mr. Nyarko indicated and therefore appealed to the DCE and the appropriate authorities to act quickly on the issue by getting port health officers at the Bole- Chache border to monitor and screen visitors moving in and out of the country.
Ghana today confirmed its sixth positive case of COVID- 19 which is fast spreading in almost all the continents and the president, Nana Akufo Addo in an address to Ghanaians, Sunday late evening on the updates of the COVID- 19, announced that all public gatherings including conferences, funerals, church activities have been suspended for the next four weeks, all Universities including SHS and basic schools are to close down from tomorrow effective March 16, Government travel bans still in force, Ministry of Local Government must liaise with relevant authorities to improve hygiene standards in our markets.
The president said he has directed the A-G and the Ministry of Health to fast track processes to ensure legislative processes are implemented to back the directives.
Health experts since the outbreak of the virus in China have being advising the general public to drink more water or fluids, regularly washing of hands with soap under a running water, avoid handshakes, avoid group gatherings, covering of mouth with tissue while coughing, regularly usage of alcohol based sanitizers among others as basic measures to preventing the virus from spreading.
