Military Personnel at the Volta Barracks
All Military personnel and their families resident within and outside the 66 Artillery Regiment in Ho, the Volta Regional Capital are being tested for the novel coronavirus as part of measures to reduce the spread in the region and the country as a whole.
The exercise which was also part of an enhanced testing programme for targeted high risk groups is being undertaken by a team from the 37 Military Hospital in Accra.
The Commanding Officer, Lt. Col. Bernard B. Pantoah who announced this in Ho recently said over 400 soldiers and their families will be tested during the period.
He added that the exercise is precautionary since the unit has not recorded any Covid-19 case so far and hoped the status quo will remain so after results come in.
More so, the Military High Command is only being proactive to safeguard the lives of personnel and their families and the community as a whole, he added.
“The fact that we have not recorded any case does not mean we should be complacent, so we are being proactive and a team has arrived from Accra to carry out the testing for us and our families,” Lt. Col. Pantoah explained.
He revealed that even before the first Covid-19 case was recorded in the country, the regiment put measures in place to ensure strict adherence to the Covid-19 safety protocols within the barracks and all other military detachments in the region. This he said was done through constant sensitization and provision of some necessary resources to ensure the measures are adhered to.
He added that, the unit have also being supporting the Police Service to enforce the wearing of nose masks, social distancing and other restrictions and safety protocols among the civil population as directed by the central government, the regional coordinating council and the local assemblies.
In another development, some 39 persons including security personnel in the region have tested positive to virus following a mass testing of identified target groups along the countrys eastern boundary at Aflao in the Ketu South municipality.
The regions total case count as at Monday June 8, 2020 has increased to 162 with 37 recoveries and three deaths.
From Fred Duodu, Ho (k.duodu@yahoo.com)