President Akufo-Addo says Ghana is determined to halt the importation of Covid-19 as the nation opens its airports to international flights.
"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" he said.
On March 12, 2020, Ghana recorded its first two positive cases of which were persons who had returned from Norway and Turkey.
Government moved in to close its borders to human traffic in order not to allow further importation of the virus.
Five months after the directive, President Akufo-Addo is convinced his administration has instituted adequate measures to prevent infected Covid-19 persons from entering the country.
President Akufo-Addo in his 16th address to the nation on measures to stop the spread of the pandemic, he spoke about government's commitment to ensure that the gradual easing of restrictions does not lead to the importation of the virus into the country.
The President also issued a six points directive to airline operators and persons who wish to travel to Ghana as precautionary measures to prevent importation of the virus.
Among them include, "passengers 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."
Meanwhile, Ghana's water and land boarders are to remain closed to human traffic.
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