The Ashanti Regional Health Directorate has identified the Ashanti and Greater Accra as “very high burden regions” due to the rate at which COVID-19 cases have been recorded within them.

According to the Regional Health Director, Dr. Emmanuel Tenkorang, the contact tracing, quarantine and self-isolation are all measures put in place to help check person with the virus from spreading among the people. He revealed that a voluntary testing has been initiated by the Health Service towards high-risk person i.e. people like front line workers, drivers, market women and individuals who usually come into contact with others due to their nature of their work.

 “High risk persons like taxi and uber drivers will go through the voluntary testing. When tested and the results come negative, such will be tested again until the second result is favorable. If such persons are tested positive, we quarantine them for 14 days till they are approved to go back home,” he said.

The Ashanti Region as at Tuesday, April 21 2020 had recorded 68 cases with three deaths and six recoveries. Total admissions were eight as homebase care stood at 51. Reading the statistical report of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), the Chief Executive Officer of KATH, Dr. Oheneba Danso informed that 204 results has so far been received from the KCCR with nine. He read that out of the 204, five have tested positive with three patients been held until their outcomes are known.

The Ashanti and Greater Accra region are the two hotspots of COVID-19 occupying zone 1, that is the high burden regions and as a result, civilance enhancement has been initiated to do an active contact tracing to isolate, test and follow up all the positive cases.

Dr. Tenkorang explained that routine civilance are in place for mild screening in certain hotspots in the region and people within range will go through voluntary testing to enroll the positive ones.

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The routine civilance was also educated that people with any signs and symptoms i.e. fever, difficulty in breathing etc would have to call 112 for the medical team to conduct a test and follow up.

The Ashanti Regional Health Directorate was addressing the press in the capital of the Ashanti Region on Tuesday, April 21, 2020 on steps put together by the Health Sector to investigation people after the president of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo lifted the three weeks partial lockdown in the Greater Accra and Kumasi, Kasoa and Tema last Sunday.

He uttered that among people roaming out in the streets, the asymptomatic are most dangerous due to their inability to show symptoms of the virus although they are in possession of the virus.

He educated that such people normally are unaware and would normally love to hang out with people who have no clue of their medical conditions.

“Asymptomatic persons are quarantined or isolated to prevent endangering the people. Sometimes they are kept home base, which is determined by the health experts. If the home base does not help, they are advised for for the mandatory quarantine issued by the government to take care of COVID-19 patients till they recover enough to leave for home," he added.