The ministries of education (MoE), local government and rural development (MLGRD) and the Ghana Education Service (GES) on Friday, June 10, underwent disinfection against the novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19).
The exercise, which was carried out by Zoomlion Ghana Limited (ZGL), was part of steps to sanitise the three state institutions, following reports that some of their staff members had tested positive for Covid-19.
At the MoE, Zoomlion disinfection crew sprayed the entire ministry, its open spaces and various offices.
The same was done in the other institutions which are all located within the same enclave.
Speaking to a cross-section of journalists on the sideline of the exercise, the Head of Communications, MoE, Vincent Assafuah, explained that the exercise had been necessitated by the country’s Covid-19 caseload which kept soaring.
“Before we re-opened the basic schools, senior high schools (SHSs) and tertiary institutions, the ministry of education ensured that they were fumigated. Now it has also become necessary for us to fumigate our ministry, basically, because we feel that the [Covid-19] numbers are growing high, and we need to protect our ministry.”
For that reason, he said the leadership of the ministry in collaboration with the GES resolved that their premises be disinfected to protect especially the staff members from the coronavirus pandemic.
Against this backdrop, Mr Assafuah stated that all the inner circle staff members of the minister for education who had contracted the virus were doing well, adding that “they were not showing any signs of the coronavirus disease.”
He added that in no time these staff members will “resume work for mother Ghana.”
He further disclosed that so far about thirteen (13) SHS students across the country had contracted the virus, stressing this number of Covid-19 cases did not warrant the closure of all SHSs in the country.
For her part, the Coordinator for the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Disinfection Exercise of Zoomlion Ghana Limited, Mrs Lola Asiseh Ashitey, said in addition to the disinfection it was crucial that staff members of these ministries observe all the Covid-19 safety protocols.
She further advocated for the need for regular disinfection.
“So we are doing disinfection again because we have the logistics and personnel to carry out any disinfection exercise,” she said.
She assured that her outfit will continue to support the central government in the war against the Covid-19 pandemic.