“The increase is largely from the major hotspots of Greater Accra and Ashanti Regions with a few sporadic outbreaks in other regions such as the Volta and Eastern Regions” he affirmed.

He said the figure was indicative of the rising incidence of COVID-19, especially as compared to the 968 cases recorded between April 11 and 25, this year.

Dr. Kuma-Aboagye, who was addressing the media at Fumesua in the Ejisu Municipality of the Ashanti Region, after a meeting of the GHS, described the situation as worrying.

This was against the backdrop of the gains made by the government in mitigating to the barest minimum the spread of the pandemic since its outbreak in the country early last year.

The GHS estimates that as of July 17, 2021, a total of 99, 734 cases had been recorded with 817 deaths, and the active cases currently stands at 3, 466.

Over 1.3 million tests had been done since the country started testing.

Dr. Kuma-Aboagye observed that the emergence of new variants with higher infectivity had further complicated the current non-adherence to the COVID-19 safety protocols.

Other threats, he said, included the outbreaks of cases in neighbouring countries, surges in Ashanti and Greater Accra Regions, low vaccination coverage, the entry of the Delta variant into Ghana and outbreaks in some schools.

“The threat of a third major outbreak is real,” he told the media.

According to the Director-General, evidence from other countries experiencing a third wave suggested that “the cases are usually twice or three times the cases in the first wave.”

The GHS, he said, in response to the threats posed by the new variants, had intensified stakeholder engagement to reduce the spread of the coronavirus.

The authorities had established an electronic data collection system for surveillance data collection, training of critical care staff and provision of equipment, as well as capacity-building for case management.

Dr. Kuma-Aboagye said in addition, the Ghana Infectious Disease Centre had also been established to augment the campaign of fighting the pandemic.

The meeting was held under the auspices of the GHS to engage stakeholders and find a way of reducing the spread of the coronavirus.