Goil donates sanitizers, PPEs to GPRTU to contain coronavirus

GOIL, has donated assorted items worth thousands of Ghana Cedis to the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU), as part of efforts towards the prevention of the spread of the coronavirus COVID-19 in Ghana.

Presenting the items which include 30,000 pieces of hand gloves, 30 gallons of hand sanitizers, 300 pieces of rubbing alcohol, 2000 pieces of nose masks and a cash amount of 10,000 to a delegation from the transport union, the Chief Operations Officer of Goil, Alex Adzew, called on drivers to lead the awareness campaign on COVID-19 Coronavirus, since public transport has been identified as one of the areas where the virus can easily be spread.

He said Goil has issued stringent guidelines across all its service stations in the country to guarantee the safety of its staff and customers.

Adzew said some employees of the oil company have been permitted to leave their stations to work from home in a bid to minimise contact with others and avoid the risk of contracting the disease.

Receiving the items, the National Chairman of GPRTU, Kwame Kuma, lauded Goil for the gesture, and pledged to collaborate with all stakeholders in the transport sector to prevent the spread of the virus.

He acknowledged the timing of the donation as crucial, noting that such products have become expensive and scarce due to recent high demand.

Cases in Ghana

The novel Coronavirus cases in Ghana have increased to 24, with one death recorded on Sunday, March 22, 2020, involving a 61-year old Lebanese resident in Ghana.

The latest novel coronavirus (COVID-19) updates from the Ghana Health Service suggest that cases of community spread may have been detected.

One of the cases involves a 34-year-old woman who was a “contact of a confirmed case at her place of work,” according to the Ghana Health Service.

Another case involves a 29-year-old woman resident of Accra with no history of travel outside Ghana.

Also, a man, aged 53, who is a resident in Tema, who has no history of travel outside Ghana tested positive for the virus.

How is the virus spread?

The virus is spread mainly between people who are in close contact with one another, i.e within about 6 feet, and via respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes.

These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled into one’s lungs.

To prevent the spread, the standard recommendations coming from the World Health Organisation and the Ghana Health Service are regular hand washing, covering one’s mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, thoroughly cooking meat and eggs and social distancing.

People are also advised to avoid close contact with anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness such as coughing and sneezing.