One critical area which seems to an oversight in the fight against coronavirus in Ghana is barbering shops
Barbering shops are high-risk places that multiple persons can be infected with the coronavirus.
At barbering salons, customers are exposed to body contacts as barbers touch face, nose, lips, jaws, head and neck of every client that patronizes their haircut and shaving services.
Therefore should, a barber shave a COVID-19 carrier or become infected, the risk of spreading to multiple people is high.
Ironically, most barbers in the New Juaben South Municipality of the Eastern Region are not adhering to the preventative protocols of Coronavirus.
Though many have UV Sterilizer machines used to sterilize hair clipper, other materials such as combs are not sterilized.
Many Barbers also do not sanitize or wash their hands intermittently after every haircut.
Wearing of hand gloves was also not noticed as a practice among the barbers in barbering shops visited.
The barbers, though aware of the Coronavirus pandemic, they were oblivious of their protection and that of their customers.
Whereas some residents on the streets say they are scared to visit barbering shops for haircut and shaving, other customers met in barbering shops say though they are concerned and fear they may be infected due to low preventive protocols, they had to take the risk to shave and do haircut to maintain beauty and neatness.
Eastern region has recorded one confirmed case of COVID-19 after an Indian expatriate working on Akosombo -Tema railway project was tested positive at Lower Manya Krobo Municipality.
Ghana on April 2, 2020 recorded nine (9) new cases of COVID -19 increasing the national tally to 204.
According to the Ghana Health Service, all the 9 new cases were recorded in the Greater Accra region.” Four (4) of them have no history of travel nor contact with any confirmed case. The other four (4) have no travel history but are contacts of confirmed cases in Ghana, and one traveled to Ghana from Benin within the past 14 days.”
“As of 2nd April 2020, Ghana has recorded 204 cases COVID-19 with five (5) deaths. The number of regions reporting cases remains five (5) (Greater Accra, Ashanti, Northern, Upper West, and Eastern). The Greater Accra Region has most of the cases (183) followed by the Northern Region (10), Ashanti Region (9), Upper West Region (1) and Eastern Region (1).”
“Most of the cases are reported from routine /enhanced surveillance activities. Cases from travelers under mandatory quarantine remain 89” the statement from GHS explained.
Ghana recorded its First case of COVID-19 on March 13, 2020.
President of Ghana Akufo-Addo on Friday night of March 27, 2020, announced partial lockdown of the Nation’s Capital-Accra and Parts of Greater Kumasi as enhanced measure to prevent increasing community spread having closed down all Borders, Land, sea and Air space. Other internal measures including the establishment of COVID-19 Fund has been Established which has started recording significant contributions by corporate Ghana.
Source: Mybrytfmonline/Obed Ansah
