Leader of Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research Group at KCCR, Dr John Amuasi has called for more stringent measures to be put in place at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) for Covid-19 testing due to the detection of Delta variant in Ghana.

The strain, first detected in India, has caused huge spikes in the Asian country and a serious increase in cases in the UK even though large sections of the population in those countries are vaccinated.

According to him, when a positive person is detected with the virus, there should be a mandatory quarantine and isolation immediately at the testing zone.

Dr Amuasi added that there should be surveillance on the person until a negative result is obtained before allowed to enter the population.

He said although these activities are already undertaken at the airports, there should be more quality control since community surveillance can’t be done here in Ghana, unlike other countries.

"This is really our only chance aside of course wrapping up the vaccination as quickly as we can,” he said.

His comment comes after the most contagious variant which originates from India, delta variant of Covid -19 was detected at the KIA.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has classified this coronavirus variant, first found in India last year, as a “variant of global concern”.

It said preliminary studies showed that this specific mutation spreads more easily than other variants.

Meanwhile, the Ghana Health Service (GHS) has rejected claims that the vaccines procured by Ghana are not potent against the new Delta variant of the novel coronavirus.

According to a statement signed by Director-General, Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, the assertion about the new strain which has now been recorded in Ghana is not backed by data.