The Government, in collaboration with the Zoomlion Ghana Limited, will on January 6, 2021, begin the nationwide fumigation and disinfection of schools, ahead of the re-opening on January 15.

To that end, about 7,000 spraying gangs from the Pests and Vector Control Association of Ghana, operating under Zoomlion Ghana Limited was trained by the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, to ensure proper disinfection of 31,450 basic, junior high and senior high schools, as well as all universities across the country.

At a media briefing on COVID-19 Update and exhibition of state-of-the-art disinfectant equipment at the Black Star Square in Accra on Monday, Mrs Victoria Opoku Anti, the Managing Director of Zoomlion Ghana Limited, said the waste management company was ready with the necessary logistics and human personnel to start the exercise in earnest.

She mentioned some of the disinfectant equipment procured for the exercise as 50 spraying vehicles, 5,000 motorised spraying machines, 5,000 Knapsack spraying machines, 100 disinfection drones and 5,000 hand-held spraying machines.

The event was held on the theme, "Making Ghana Safer and Healthier, "which attracted ministers of state, members of Parliament, heads of state institutions, the Clergy, traditional authorities and the media.

Mrs Anti said all the disinfection chemicals that would be used for the exercise was approved by the World Health Organization (WHO) and safe for use in open and enclosed spaces and called for cooperation from heads of schools and stakeholders to ensure a successful exercise and completion by January 14, 2021.

She lauded President Akufo-Addo for bringing the private sector on board towards ensuring rapid response to the COVID-19 pandemic fight.

Mrs Cecilia Abena Dapaah, the Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, who led a delegation to inspect the spraying equipment, said the Ministry would work closely and in solidarity with Zoomlion Ghana Limited to ensure a successful exercise.

She said the Ministry had procured monitoring vehicles to go round all the centres the disinfection and fumigation would take place.

As part of government's measures to maintain hygiene and clean environment, she said, the Ministry had been evacuating old refuse dumps across the country.

The Minister reiterated the need for the public to continue observing all the COVID-19 safety protocols to eradicate the Coronavirus from the country.

Earlier on, Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah assured the public that, government in the course of the week would update Ghanaians with detailed modalities put in place by the Ghana Health Service and the Ministry of Education to safeguard the health and safety of pupils, students, teachers and non-teaching staff, ahead of the school reopening on January 15, 2021.