COVID-19 Still Present in Ghana, Not Eradicated – GHS
Health officials emphasize the virus has never been eliminated since 2020
- COVID-19 is still circulating in Ghana and has never been eradicated
- Recent cases emerged at the University of Ghana after a campus event
- GHS urges continued safety measures and suspension of social gatherings
The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has confirmed that COVID-19 is still circulating in Ghana and has never been fully eradicated since the pandemic began in 2020.
Authorities caution the public against underestimating the virus, especially as new cases have recently surfaced, notably within the University of Ghana community.
In an interview on June 26, Dr. Franklin Asiedu-Bekoe, Director of Public Health at GHS, stressed that COVID-19 continues to persist at low levels nationwide and has not been declared eliminated.
“COVID has never gone away. It has been with us since 2020. Although the WHO Director-General announced last year that COVID is no longer a public health emergency, that doesn’t mean the virus is gone. If it were, the WHO would have declared the pandemic over,” Dr. Asiedu-Bekoe explained.
He further highlighted that Ghana’s monitoring systems are still actively detecting new infections. The recent outbreak at the University of Ghana is believed to have originated from a hall week celebration, where an infected student unknowingly spread the virus.
“This cluster of cases from the hall week event shows COVID never left. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen new infections; they’ve been recorded intermittently over recent weeks and months,” he said.
The public, especially institutions, are encouraged to reinforce COVID-19 safety protocols to reduce transmission. Dr. Asiedu-Bekoe supported the University of Ghana’s decision to suspend social events as a preventative measure.
The university officially announced the spike in cases on June 23 and promptly advised staff and students to exercise caution. Following this, the university’s health directorate suspended all social gatherings on June 26 to help contain the outbreak.
Both suspected and confirmed cases have triggered a reactivation of internal health safety measures and increased surveillance efforts on campus.
Health officials are urging everyone to stay calm and continue practicing good hygiene, wear masks in crowded places, and report symptoms early to help curb the spread.
