HEALTH MINISTER REVEALS CAUSE OF COVID-19 SPIKE AT UNIVERSITY OF GHANA
On Tuesday, July 1, 2025, Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh informed Parliament that the University of Ghana’s hall week festivities were directly responsible for the recent spike in COVID-19 cases among the campus community.
Speaking to the House, the minister said that the main cause of the local outbreak was the celebrations.
Even though COVID-19 is no longer considered a worldwide health emergency, Mr. Akandoh reassured the public that flare-ups do happen occasionally, especially during specific seasons.
He attested that the increase in cases at the university was quickly identified by Ghana’s national disease surveillance system, which linked it to a well-known Omicron sub-variant. This variety is known to cause little disease often, although it is highly transmissible.
107 of the 316 suspected cases reported by the University of Ghana as of July 1 have been verified to be COVID-19. Importantly, the outbreak has not resulted in any hospitalizations or fatalities, and all verified cases are apparently making a full recovery.
“The recent COVID-19 cases are localized to the University of Ghana community only,” Mr. Akandoh emphasized, crediting Ghana’s robust influenza surveillance system for the early detection. The Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research confirmed the results.
Despite the fact that several nations have reduced testing, he praised Ghana’s persistent attention to maintaining COVID-19 monitoring infrastructure.
Pinpointing the cause of the spike, the minister stated unequivocally: “The most significant factor was the recent Hall Week celebrations held at the University. These events brought large crowds together, with little use of face masks or distancing.”
He also mentioned contact tracing challenges and a general drop in basic COVID-19 procedure adherence as major issues.
A national response team was sent to work with the university and local health officials in response to the outbreak. Alerts were sent to medical facilities around the country, and important representatives from the Ghana Health Service, Noguchi Institute, and the School of Public Health called emergency meetings
