President Akufo-Addo says non-ECOWAS nationals who arrive at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) will continue to pay $150 for their PCR antigen test.

This follows a revelation by the Health Minister-designate, Kwaku Agyemang-Manu that the President has instructed those in charge to reduce the cost of the Covid-19 test.

Mr Agyeman-Manu who was speaking on the floor of Parliament on Friday explained that health officials and the company administering the antigen test will now be expected to charge $50 instead of the previous $150.

But clarifying the issue in his 23rd televised update to the nation, President Akufo-Addo said it is only in-bound ECOWAS nationals that will benefit from the new price.

"At the 58^th Summit of the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government, held virtually, it was agreed that the cost of the Covid test for in-bound ECOWAS nationals be pegged at fifty United States dollars ($50) at the Kotoka International Airport.

"The cost of the test for non-ECOWAS nationals still remains $150," he said.

The President also explained that while ECOWAS nationals and other travellers, who test positive for the virus will bear the cost of the mandatory isolation and treatment in Ghana, citizens who test positive upon their arrival into the country will have their isolation and treatment costs borne by the state.

He assured Ghanaians that government is committed to acquiring the needed vaccine for citizens.

President Akufo-Addo was optimistic that the earliest vaccine will be in the country by March.

"Our aim is to vaccinate the entire population, with an initial target of twenty million people.

"Through bilateral and multilateral means, we are hopeful that, by the end of June, a total of 17.6 million vaccine doses would have been procured for the Ghanaian people.

"The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) will use its established processes for granting emergency-use-authorization for each vaccine in Ghana.

"As President of the Republic, I assure you that only vaccines that have been evaluated and declared as safe-for-use in Ghana will be administered, he added.

Meanwhile, as of Friday, January 29, 64 more people had died from the virus; bringing the total number of confirmed deaths to 416.

According to the current update by the Ghana Health Service, the number of critically and severely ill persons also stood at 172.