Covid-19: 162 more persons test positive at Tema Fishing Processing Factory

Some hundred and sixty-two (162) more persons have tested positive for Covid-19 at the Tema fish-processing factory, the Ghana Health Service has disclosed.

This brings the total number of covid-19 infections at this single facility to 695.

The Head of Disease Surveillance at the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr Franklin Asiedu Bekoe said the final figures were arrived at after the coronavirus test results were received for the entire 1,300 staff of the company.

Dr Bekoe disclosed that 95 percent of the 695 infected persons have recorded a first negative test. They are currently awaiting a second test to be officially cleared of the virulent disease.

Addressing a press briefing Tuesday morning [May 19, 2020] in Accra, he said the factory was immediately closed down for a GHS assessment after the first case was reported.

He said social distancing was absent at various areas of the factory's operations such as the canteen, staff bus and their biometric clock-in devices which he described as "pre-disposing factors" for spreading infections.

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The government initially announced that over 500 workers at the factory had been infected after one worker contracted the disease.

The news when first broke out, was received with panic and fear, especially by people living within Tema area.

Many called for the sanctioning of the company over its “negligence” to put in place adequate measures to prevent the spread of the virus.

In response, the company in a statement said, as soon as the first case was confirmed, it adopted measures to remedy the situation.

 “We are able to confirm we have had an employee that tested positive for COVID-19. The positive test results were received on 17th April 2020 and we immediately closed Pioneer Food Cannery (PFC) on a temporary basis for disinfection and cleaning, as well as any necessary self-quarantining of staff and tracing of contacts to identify any potential risks. These efforts were carried out in collaboration with the local health and government authorities,” the company said.