The Presidential Advisor on Health, Dr Anthony Nsiah Asare has said the best place to keep school children in the wake of COVID-19 is the boarding house to prevent them from getting infected and spreading the virus.

Dr Asare’s comment comes on the back of calls from the National Council of Parent-Teacher Associations (NCPTAs) to the government to send home all senior high school (SHS) students to prevent further spread of the deadly COVID-19.

The appeal of the NCPTAs is as a result of reports that some students and teachers of some SHSs in the country, have tested positive for COVID-19. 

Fourteen SHSs have, so far, recorded COVID-19 cases.

But reacting to this on the Citizen Show on Accra100.5FM on Tuesday, 14 July 2020, Dr Asare said: “The best place to keep children now is in boarding house. We’re making sure the day students also follow the protocols and precaution.”

He insisted that the most important thing to do to prevent contracting and spreading the virus is for students to obey the protocols.

“People go to the market and they follow precautions, don’t they? So, in school, they’ve been given extra directives to keep them safe. The parents must educate their wards…parents must tell their children, the day students, to put on their mask to and from school, use the sanitisers, wash hands and shower immediately they return from school. If every Ghanaian follow this protocol and make sure we obey social distancing we can prevent the spread of the virus,” he added.

Dr Asare noted that if Ghanaians, including the students follow the protocols “there’s no room for panic” as according to him, there are sick bays in schools with nurses to attend to every sick child.