A student of Rimsea Preparatory School in his face mask and washing his hands before entering his classroom
Most public and private schools at all levels in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis in the Western Region reopened yesterday after about nine months closure due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
It would be recalled that public and private schools at all levels in the country were closed on March 16, 2020 as a measure to curb the potential spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in the country.
However, in his 21st broadcast to the nation on measures taken by the government against COVID-19, President Akufo-Addo said all kindergarten, primary and junior high schools should reopen.
A visit by DAILY GUIDE to some of the schools yesterday revealed that most of the schools had put in place the necessary measures to ensure the safety of the school children against the pandemic.
At all the private schools visited, it was revealed that all the hygiene protocols were being observed.
Wearing of face masks was made compulsory; students have to wear them before they were allowed to enter the schools’ premises.
Some personal protective equipment (PPE) and other logistics were also available to ensure the safety of students.
At Woodbridge Preparatory School at Race Course near Takoradi, the school authorities had outlined a number of measures as well as procedures to ensure that the children study in a safe environment.
The authorities had placed Veronica buckets, liquid soap and tissue papers at vantage points for the school children and all those entering the premises to wash and clean their hands.
The school’s security guys also had thermometer guns to check the temperature of each person entering the premises.
At Rimsea Preparatory School at Sawmill, also near Takoradi, most of the children were beaming with smiles, an indication that they were happy to return to school.
The school children were in their reusable face masks and were made to wash their hands before going to their respective classrooms.
Social distancing was also observed in the classrooms most of which had relatively small numbers.
However, at the Methodist MA Primary and Junior High Public School, also at Sawmill, it was observed that even though the hygiene protocols were in place, some of the school children were not wearing face masks.
Meanwhile, churches in Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis have also made the wearing of face masks in church compulsory as the country tries to contain a surge in COVID-19 cases in recent times.
From Emmanuel Opoku, Takoradi