It said members of the association needed to jealously safeguard themselves against the deadly virus in order to employ their technical expertise to protect their families and the general public against the virus.

A statement issued in Wa on Monday and signed by Mr Dominic Tugpiel, Upper West Regional Chairman of the GEHOA and copied to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) said this had become necessary following the recorded cases of the COVID-19 in other regions including the Upper West Region.

The Upper West Region recorded one case of the COVID-19 on Friday, March 27, 2020 and 10 cases recorded in the Northern Region, with a total of 152 cases recorded in the country, five deaths and two recoveries.
 

"The Secretariat will liaise with all stakeholders to get logistics to support and equip our staff to carry out any duties as the need arises", the statement said.
 

It entreated its members to demonstrate the significance of their service to national development and the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic following the call by the president for Ghanaians to garner their collective efforts towards the fight against the disease.
 

"Be rest assured that whatever insurance package agreed by government and health authorities, will benefit Environmental health staff involved in the fight against COVID-19", it added.

As part of efforts to counter the COVID-19 pandemic in the country, the President, Nana Ado Dankwah Akuffo-Addo has ordered the closure of all the country's borders, suspension of all public gatherings and lockdown of some parts of the country including the Ashanti and the Greater Accra Regions.
 

The general public had also been encouraged to regularly wash their hands with soap under running water, frequently use alcohol-based hand sanitizer, observe social distancing of at least 2-meters, avoid handshaking and cover their mouths and nose with tissue when coughing or sneezing and dispose of.
immediately after or into their folded elbow among others to help curb the spread of the virus.