President Nana Akufo-Addo has expressed confidence that the reopening of the country’s airports for international flights will not lead to a surge in the number of recorded Covid-19 cases in the country.
According to the President, stringent measures have been taken to ensure that the reopening of airports for international flights does not result into the importation or resurgence in the country’s Covid-19 recorded cases.
“It has been well-established that the very first cases of COVID-19 in Ghana were imported into our shores. We are determined to make sure this scenario does not recur. The commitment to ensuring that the gradual easing of restrictions, including the reopening of our airports, does not lead to the importation or resurgence of the virus into our country, is firmly in place,” he stated.
In a televised address to the nation on new measures taken in the country’s fight against Covid-19, President Akufo-Addo announced the reopening of the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) for international flights from Tuesday, September 1, 2020.
Outlining measures to ensure the containment of the virus in the midst of the airport reopening, he indicated that the safety protocols have been communicated to international airlines that would be flying into the country.
He added that airlines which fail to ensure that passengers arriving into the country are in possession of negative Covid-19 PCR test results which must be conducted within 72 hours to the departure and in accredited laboratories of their country of origin would be sanctioned.
Passengers arriving in Ghana are also required to undergo mandatory testing at a cost to be born by the passengers as well as wear face masks at the point of disembarking.
These measures, the president stated, are stringent enough to ensure that passengers do not import into the country cases of Covid-19 as happened in the country’s first confirmed Covid-19 case.
President Akufo-Addo, however, disclosed that the country’s sea and land borders remain closed.
On education, he disclosed that schools would be reopened for JHS 2 and SHS 2 students while announcing the postponement of the academic for pupils and students from KG to SHS 1 to January next year.
