The form 3 students of Kumasi Girls’ Senior High School and St Louis SHS have staged a protest after the Ghana Education Service rescinded its decision to allow them to go home during the mid-term break due to the upsurge in COVID-19 cases.

The boarding students who were affected by the decision vandalised Veronica buckets on campus in their protest.

A team of police from the Bohyen police station was deployed to the school to maintain peace and order and protect school property.

A board member of the school and Assemblymember for the area, Amoako Asante Francis, told Kumasi FM's Elisha Adarkwah the school authorities later received a letter asking that the students be allowed to go home if they so wish.

Mr Amoah said the students have been urged to return to school on Sunday.

Meanwhile, President Nana Akufo-Addo has said the rising number of active COVID-19 cases shows that “we’ve let our guard down”.

Currently, the number of active cases is 3,124 after falling to almost 1,000 a few weeks ago.

A total of 815 people have died.

Some 343 new cases were recently confirmed, according to the latest figures from the Ghana Health Service.

Since mid-March 2020, a total of 99,160 people have had the virus in Ghana.

Out of that number, 95,221 have recovered.

Addressing Muslims at the Eid-ul-Adha celebration at the National Central Mosque at Kanda, Accra, President Akufo-Addo said: “The COVID-19 pandemic is still with us – unfortunately”.

“This means that for the second year running, we are having to hold a subdued Eid celebration”, he observed.

“As we continue to count on the grace of God to protect our country from the ravages of the pandemic like he has since its outbreak, we can only minimise its health effects and avoid a full-blown third wave if we continue to be responsible and observe the safety and hygiene protocols.”

He noted: “The recent increase in the number of infections is a source of worry for me and, indeed, for all Ghanaians”.

“From the rising numbers, it is safe to conclude that we have let our guard down and are beginning to live our lives and conduct our businesses as though we are in normal times”.

“It is important to repeat that the virus is still with us and until each one of us receives a dose of the vaccine, the protocols must continue to be a part and parcel of our daily activities,” he added.