False! Final Year Students Have NOT Been Given N-95 Nose Masks

On Thursday 9^th July, 2020,the Public Relations Officer of the Ministry of Education,  Vicent Assafuah,  was interviewed on TV3’s New Day programme following the alleged Covid-19 case in KNUST Senior High School. Vicent Assafuah made an assertion that the Government of Ghana had distributed N-95 nose masks to students in senior high schools.

Fact-check Ghana verified this claim and concludes that the claim is false.

Explanation: The N-95 nose mask is the most highly recommended nose masks by WHO and other scientists as being efficient in protecting people from being infected with the Coronavirus.

Although the Ghana Education Services distributed face masks to final year students who returned to school to prepare for and write their final year exams, it was not disclosed which type of face mask was given to the students.

A joint media release on 6^th July, 2020, signed by both GES Director and GHS Director also did not indicate which type of nose masks was given to students.

Fact-check Ghana interviewed a District Director for eductaion . He stated that the nose masks shared to the final students were sewn with a cloth material. A further phone call interviews with a school Director, teacher and a final year student confirmed the information received from the regional director of education that the nose masks were locally made.

Furthermore, the flyer shared on the GES Facebook page had students wearing African print nose masks with an inscription of  “back to school”. Therefore, the information given by Vicent Assafuah, the PRO of Education Ministry is false since students weren’t given N-95 and aren’t seen wearing N-95.

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