After closing the airport to human traffic five months ago as part of restrictions to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus, President Akufo-Addo has announced that the Kotoka International Airport will be re-opened to international passenger traffic effective September 1, 2020.
The President made this known during his 16th address to the nation on measures the government has taken to fight the spread of the virus.
Airlines and passengers are, however, required to adhere to the following measures:
- any passenger arriving in Ghana must be in possession of a negative Covid-19 PCR test result from an accredited laboratory in the country of origin. The test should have been done not more than 72 hours before the scheduled departure from the country of origin. All airlines have been instructed to ensure compliance with this directive for all passengers wishing to travel to Ghana, and those airlines who fail in this regard will be duly sanctioned;
- disembarking passengers must do so wearing face masks;
- upon disembarking from the aeroplane, each passenger will undergo a mandatory Covid-19 test at the airport terminal, at a fee to be borne by the passenger. The test result will be available within 30 minutes;
- children under the ages of five will not be required to undergo testing at the airport
- passengers, who test positive for Covid-19, will be handled by the health authorities for further clinical assessment and management;
- passengers, who test negative, can, thereupon, enter Ghana to go about their lawful activities, and will be advised to continue to observe Covid-19 safety precautions during their stay in Ghana.
The Ministries of Information, Health and Aviation, and their respective agencies- the Ghana Health Service, the Ghana Airports Co. Ltd., and the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority – will spell out in further detail the protocols surrounding the re-opening of our international airport, and the procedures to be adhered to by passengers arriving in Ghana at the Covid-19 media briefing on, Monday, August 31.
“For the avoidance of doubt, our borders, by land and sea, will continue to remain closed to human traffic until further notice,” he said.
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