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Schools were closed at the height of the pandemic in 2020
As schools reopened in the midst of the third wave of the covid-19 pandemic, adherence to COVID-19 prevention protocols has declined dramatically, especially at basic levels.
The use of face masks, which were highly respected after the nine-month school vacation, has been abandoned altogether. Hand washing stations are no longer in place, temperature control before entering the classroom and the use of hand sanitizers are no longer used.
This has raised public concerns about the safety of schoolchildren, given that social gatherings such as funerals and parties are held without resorting to any of the protocols.
This indicates that the possibility of a teacher contracting the virus and passing it on to students in the class is very high.
This was revealed when the Ghanaian News Agency as part of the media mobilization against Covid-19, a project implemented by Journalists for Human Rights (JHR) in collaboration with the Association of Journalists from Ghana (GJA) visited some schools in New Juaben South Municipality. .
In 10 primary and middle schools visited in the commune, the situation was no different, schoolchildren were seen in classrooms without nasal masks with their teachers giving instructions without observing social distancing.
The GNA observed that most schools, which started the shift system, immediately after the long hiatus to make room for sufficient physical spacing and distancing in classrooms had ceased, resulting in large class sizes without space to allow social distancing.
In addition, most schools reverted to the six to eight contact hours other than the government mandated four contact hours when schools reopened in January this year, to reduce contact hours as a control tool. the spread of disease, while compulsory hand washing has also ceased.
During the visit, the GNA found that the hand washing stations had become cosmetic. While some did not have water, soap or tissues, others had water but were not used because no one applied it as was the case at the start of the period. reopening of the school after the long break.
Some of the schoolchildren interviewed told the GNA that the application of the protocols had waned, unlike the first quarter when the school reopened.
Joyce Koi, a grade six student at Densuano L / A Elementary School, said: “At first they would check our temperature as well as the face mask wearing all the time, but now the teachers don’t insist anymore.” .
She said periodically, they were asked to go and wash their hands, “but now the containers don’t have water sometimes, when you want to wash your hands you have to buy a bag of water and the use, so we all stopped “.
According to Joyce, she and her colleagues were worried but there was nothing they could do about adding that another worrying situation was the cancellation of the shift work system which had resulted in many children in classrooms, making it very difficult to comply with social distancing.
In his class there were around 54 students and were seated in pairs or threes depending on the size of the desk but they barely adhere to social distancing protocol and due to the long hours in class the few people who used the mask have them. withdrawn at some point. putting them and the whole class at risk from covid-19.
The World Health Organization (WHO) stressed the need to adhere to preventive protocols, especially the use of face masks despite the rollout of covid-19 vaccinations around the world and the fact that preventive measures were essential to achieve a reduction in infections.
So far, around 40,000 people have received the first and second injections of AstraZeneca vaccines and GNA has concluded that vaccination is underway in the 33 districts of the Region, meanwhile, it is expected that around 1 , 7 million people over 18 are vaccinated in the Region.
Nationally, the total number of vaccine doses administered is 1,643,172, of which 1,026,652 took their first dose (AZ, Sputnik-V, JnJ), 865,422 took their first dose (AZ, Sputnik-V), while 616,520 took second doses of (AZ, Sputnik-V) and 777,750 people fully vaccinated (All vaccines) as of September 23, 2021.
Meanwhile, the Eastern region has cumulatively recorded more than 6,376 confirmed cases of covid-19 including more than 785 students across 33 municipalities and administrative districts and 126 deaths to date, New Juaben Municipality South had recorded more than 1,151 as of September 20, 2021.
Nationally, confirmed cases have reached 127,482, with 3,088 active cases, 140 new cases, 123,238 recoveries / discharges and 1,156 deaths.
Dr John Ekow Otto, regional deputy director of public health for the East, stressed the need to strictly adhere to prevention protocols, adding that “Covid-19 remains a threat, we are registering cases on a daily basis”.
He advised the public to take their own protection, explaining that it was unfortunate that the protocols were not enforced in social gatherings and public spaces such as schools and markets and urged all not to let their guard down at all.
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