Following the declaration of the COVID-19  a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO), and Ghana recording 21 cases, the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) has decided to suspend all port tours by schools and organisations with immediate effect.

 It is also liaising with shipping agents to identify all high-risk vessels that may be coming into the country for the necessary precautionary actions to be taken.

 Already, the Authority, in consultation with agents of cruise vessels, has advised the postponement of all cruise ships scheduled to take berth at the Ports of Tema and Takoradi and assured the public that all other high risk vessels would be treated with the same urgency.

 This was in a statement issued and signed by Mrs Esther Gyebi-Donkor, General Manager, Marketing and Corporate Affairs of the GPHA.

 It called on students who wished to undertake their internship with the Authority to hold on until further notice and advised them to avoid coming to the offices for such opportunities based on health and safety reasons.

 The statement said due to the COVID-19 pandemic, visits to patients admitted to the GPHA health facilities in Tema and Takoradi would be strictly regulated and urged family members and loved ones to bear with the medical teams while they did their best to care for the patients.

It said there was no immediate threat to the Port community but the action had been taken out of caution to prevent the spread of the virus and safeguard the health of its stakeholders and the public.

The Port Authority would continue with its sensitisation exercise of users and stakeholders and encouraged everyone to follow the precautionary measures, the statement said.

It gave the assurance that port tours and other public-spirited assignments would resume when conditions were favourable.