COVID-19 cases recorded in Eastern Region, Greater Accra, Volta Ashanti Region – Virology at Noguchi warns

Professor Kofi Bonney, Head of Virology at the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR), has raised concern over a recent rise in COVID-19 cases, noting that the situation extends beyond the University of Ghana campus.

In an interview with JoyNews on Monday, June 30, 2025—monitored by GhanaWeb—Prof. Bonney explained that the increase in cases is part of a wider national trend being picked up through ongoing surveillance by the National Influenza Center at NMIMR. The center, which is a World Health Organisation (WHO)-designated hub for monitoring respiratory viruses, has been tracking both influenza and COVID-19 cases across the country.

“From February, we observed a slight spike in cases, mostly influenza and some COVID cases. By May, we started seeing cases from other regions including the Eastern Region, Greater Accra beyond the university area, as well as Volta and the Ashanti Region,” he said.

According to Prof. Bonney, although the University of Ghana’s campus has seen a notable surge, especially in the past two weeks, it is not an isolated incident. The university’s health directorate recently issued a public advisory following what was described as an “overwhelming number of cases” among students and staff.

He explained that the current wave of respiratory illnesses is not unexpected, particularly during the rainy season, when such infections tend to increase.

“It is not a localised resurgence, I would say. We’ll be having these cases and it is expected because we are in the rainy season. And during this time, we are expecting to have a lot of these respiratory infections coming up, especially the influenza-like illnesses,” Prof. Bonney noted.

NMIMR has been conducting influenza surveillance for over 15 years and incorporated COVID-19 testing into its work after the peak of the pandemic in 2022. The institute continues to monitor the situation closely as sporadic cases appear in various regions.

The University of Ghana Health Services has since called on students, staff, and visitors to observe COVID-19 preventive protocols and stay vigilant as efforts continue to manage the situation on campus and nationwide.