Dr. Emmanuel Tinkorang, Ashanti Regional Director of Health Services, has expressed concerns about the general decline in adherence to the hand hygiene protocols in the fight against COVID-19.

He said hand washing was not only an effective strategy to stop the spread of COVID-19 but also other diseases, hence the need for Ghanaians to regularly wash their hands with soap under running water.

Addressing the media on the current situation of COVID-19 in the Region on Monday, Dr. Tinkorang bemoaned how the hand hygiene protocol had been abandoned in public places.

"You no longer see Veronica buckets in our lorry terminals, markets, and social gatherings as it used to be during the early stages of the pandemic," the Regional Director pointed out.

He stressed the need for managers of such public places to prioritise the provision of Veronica buckets to promote the culture of hand washing in the interest of public health.

Dr. Tinkorang said although wearing of face masks was critical to the fight against COVID-19, it was equally important to observe other safety protocols to ensure proper protection.

He said adherence to the safety protocols had even become more important considering the reported cases of Marburg in Guinea and Ebola in neighbouring Ivory Coast.

He said the Ministry of Health and Ghana Health Service had increased surveillance in various health facilities to ensure the early detection of other diseases as it continued to fight COVID-19.

The Regional Directorate, he noted, would continue to partner relevant stakeholders and also ensure community engagement as part of its risk communication strategies.

"People must understand that they are part of the process, so they should complement efforts of health authorities so that we can collectively defeat the common enemy," he implored.

On the ongoing vaccination exercise in the Region, Dr. Tinkorang disclosed that 11,000 people had been vaccinated with the Johnson and Johnson vaccine as of Monday, August 16.

He said the Directorate had received 50,400 single doses of Johnson and Johnson vaccines and was targeting residents in four districts including Kumasi Metro, Asokwa, Kwadaso and Oforikrom.

According to him, the four districts accounted for about 80 per cent of cases recorded since the Region recorded its first case last year and called on people in those areas to get involved in the exercise.