Twelve more Ghanaians have died of COVID-19 bringing the total number of casualties in the country to 494, the Ghana Health Service has announced.

Also, 554 new cases of infection have been recorded bringing the total number of active cases to 6,948.

Meanwhile, the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has urged the Ghana Education Service to establish a threshold for closure of schools in the wake of COVID-19.

According to the GMA, some level of infections of the virus in schools should lead to a shutdown.

The appeal comes in the wake of reports of rising cases COVID infections in some schools in the country including Akosombo International.

Speaking to Francis Abban on the Morning Starr Wednesday, deputy general secretary of the GMA Titus Beyuo said the association appealed to the GES to establish the threshold before schools were reopened but it was ignored.

“When the schools were going to be opened, we asked for a threshold to be set, but schools have been opened and still, there’s no threshold,” he said.