Head of Virology at the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, Professor Kofi Bonney, has called for collaborative efforts to curb the resurgence of COVID-19.

As such, he has admonished Ghanaians to willingly take the COVID-19 vaccine shots should the government start administering them.

“The vaccines boost immunity, but the efficacy reduces at a point. So people who have already taken the vaccines must do well to get the boosters to build the immune system."

“Ghana Health Service is working to secure the vaccines, and we must all try and take it when it comes,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Minister for Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has allayed the fears of the general public over the resurgence of the COVID-19 virus, indicating that no cases have been recorded outside the country's capital.

The sector minister made this known when he appeared before Parliament to provide an update on the resurgence of COVID-19 in the country on Tuesday, July 1.

In his delivery, the sector minister noted that as of July 1, 107 out of 316 suspected cases within the University of Ghana community have been confirmed as COVID-19.

Currently, no deaths have been reported, and no individual is currently on admissions.

Honourable Akandoh noted that the outbreak is limited to the University of Ghana community, adding that "it has not spread widely to other parts of Accra or the rest of the country."

He noted that these cases have been traced to a familiar variant—the Omicron sub-variant.The cases were detected through Ghana’s influenza surveillance system and confirmed by the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research.

This national network of sentinel sites operates across all 16 regions.

He therefore assured Ghanaians that, should there be any cases outside the university campus, "our surveillance system remains active and ready to detect and respond effectively."

The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has revealed that the current COVID-19 cases recorded in the University of Ghana are of mild magnitude.

The Health Services Directorate of the University of Ghana has reactivated its COVID-19 Response Protocols, including screening and triage measures at health facilities.

The preventive measures include wearing face masks properly, especially in enclosed or crowded spaces, and washing hands frequently with soap under running water or using alcohol-based hand sanitizers.

Subsequently, all staff, students, and visitors are strongly advised to remain vigilant and strictly adhere to recommended preventive measures to reduce the risk of infection and community spread.

In light of this, management of the University of Ghana, Legon, has suspended all social gatherings on campus, excluding official university activities and lectures, to quell the spread of COVID-19 cases

Professor Kofi Bonnie, has warned that the rainy season could trigger the resurgence of COVID-19. Speaking to Joy News, the virologist explained that influenza-like illnesses surge during rainy days.

COVID-19 is the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. It usually spreads between people in close contact.

COVID-19 vaccines provide strong protection against severe illness and death. Although a person can still get COVID-19 after vaccination, they are more likely to have mild or no symptoms.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), COVID-19 symptoms typically appear 5 to 6 days after exposure and can last between 1 and 14 days, ranging from common symptoms like fever, chills, and sore throat to less common ones such as muscle aches, severe fatigue, nasal congestion, headache, sore eyes, dizziness, a persistent cough, chest pain, shortness of breath, hoarseness, numbness, appetite loss, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, altered taste or smell, and difficulty sleeping.

In 2020, COVID-19 was declared a public health emergency of international concern. In March of the period in question, Ghana recorded its first case.

In May 2023, the UN World Health Organization declared an end to COVID-19 as a public health emergency, stressing that it does not mean the disease is no longer a global threat.According to the Ghana Health Service (GHS), significant portions of the population remain either partially vaccinated or unvaccinated, posing ongoing vulnerability to the disease.

In July 2024, the GHS initiated a nationwide COVID-19 vaccination campaign where it administered 500,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines to all individuals aged 18 years and above, intensifying efforts to bolster vaccination rates.

Vaccination teams operate at hospitals, clinics, and health centers, ensuring accessibility to COVID-19 vaccines.

Additionally, teams conduct outreach activities at residences, markets, places of worship, workplaces, and other venues to facilitate widespread access.

According to GHS, COVID-19 vaccination is now a routine for adults, available at all vaccination sites nationwide.

As of 2023, the cumulative cases worldwide stood at 765,222,932, with nearly seven million deaths. As of 30 April, a total of more than 13.3 billion vaccine doses have been administered worldwide.

According to data provided by the UN WHO, Europe recorded the highest number of confirmed cases, approaching 300 million, whereas Africa recorded the least. The highest number of deaths, exceeding 2.5 million, was recorded in Europe. Africa recorded the least number of death cases.