Ebola scare: Gov't to freeze public gatherings

Government is to put a freeze on international conferences and public gatherings as part of measures to prevent the spread of the deadly Ebola virus into Ghana, the Deputy Minister of Education, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has hinted.

According to him, the move was necessary to ensure that the disease does not spread into Ghana.

In a radio (Joy FM) interview Tuesday morning, the Deputy Minister said whiles health institutions were ready and on high alert to handle any outbreak, all tertiary institutions across the country were to postpone re-opening as part of measures to prevent the spread of the virus.

This, according to Mr Ablakwa was to prevent foreign students from travelling from affected West African countries into Ghana.

He said the closure will happen for a while until such a time that surveillance and screening at entry border points have been strengthened..

Already, the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology has suspended re-opening of the 2014/2015 academic year in view of the Ebola scare as well as the strike action by the University Teachers’ Association of Ghana (UTAG).


“It is very likely that re-opening of all tertiary institutions will be postponed while the inter-ministerial task force put in place measures to ensure that students from the affected countries do not enter Ghana with the Ebola virus,” Mr Ablakwa said.

“Yesterday we were invited to join in the deliberations of the inter-ministerial committee and we discussed this matter at length. We looked at the possibility of students coming from the affected countries in the sub-region and how we can put in place screening mechanisms and ensure that these students have not contracted the deadly Ebola virus and that they are not coming to spread the virus on our campuses,” he added.

According to Mr Ablakwa, the inter-ministerial committee was working out with the various health directorates in the various tertiary institutions to ensure that there can be immediate reporting of any symptoms that look suspicious.

Nearly 1,000 people have died, and 1,800 have become infected in Liberia, Guinea, Sierra Leone and Nigeria since the outbreak of the disease in February

The Ebola outbreak - the worst ever - is prevalent in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea, but has spread to other countries such as Nigeria in recent months.

The Ebola virus is transmitted among humans through bodily fluids.

In Ghana, a total of 37 suspected cases has since been evaluated and proved negative.