The Obuasi township in the Ashanti Region has recorded an alarming jump in COVID-19 cases with 272 new infections.
This accounted for the Ashanti Region almost doubling its number of infections which rose from 355 to 667.
Though a detailed breakdown was not given, indications are that most of the cases were from the Obuasi Central Market, which has since been closed.
Wawase and Asonkore also recorded cases in Obuasi.
At a press briefing on Tuesday morning, the Ghana Health Service Director-General, Dr. Patrick Aboagye revealed that the cases in the market were traced back to two people.
“The central market was the case of a couple who were unknowingly positive and had been trading and working with people for the past two weeks and we found 17 of their immediate contacts being positive and that has led to the spread in the market.”
In the latest update, there were five cases in Kumasi, prompting Dr. Aboagye to noted that “Kumasi Metro cases are coming down and Obuasi is coming up.”
The Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah further gave an indication of the scale of the spread at the market by comparing it to the fish-processing factory in Tema were one worker infected 533 other workers at the facility.
“The Obuasi market incident; if you add that to the Tema factory incident, gives rise to renewed calls for workplace vigilance. For the workplaces that are opened up or being opened up again, we need to be extra vigilant,” the Minister said.
Because of this update, 40 teams of contact tracers had been deployed in Obuasi to mop up the cases and isolate persons who test positive for the Coronavirus disease.
Meanwhile, some residents of Obuasi are protesting the siting of an isolation centre in the area.
The protests occurred at Abusco last stop, a suburb in the Obuasi East District.
They fear it will pose a health threat to residents and want authorities of the Obuasi East District Assembly to reconsider the decision
Authorities of the Obuasi East District Assembly in the Ashanti Region have since called for calm.
