The Director of Public Health at the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr Franklin Asiedu-Bekoe, has outlined measures to be put in place if government eases restrictions at the land borders.

This follows a revelation by Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, in a Tweet, on Thursday, that government is working towards easing restrictions at the country’s land borders.

Government in 2020, upon the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, closed the country’s land borders to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The land borders have since not been opened for trading activities and travel purposes.

According to Dr. Asiedu-Bekoe, Covid-19 statistics have decreased significantly since the restriction was imposed.

“This is the best data we have had for the past two years. But we’ve been somehow close to this era before whereby we have very low figures and then we have the advent of variants and there is a surge. The only difference is that we now have vaccines.

“Now, as I speak to you, about 25 percent of Ghanaians are fully vaccinated, so there is a level of protection. I think it’s quite right if the government tries to do the easing whiles we try to monitor,” he said.

Speaking on JoyNews‘ The Pulse on Friday, Dr. Asiedu-Bekoe stated that, he does not oppose the idea of loosening border restrictions but advised the government to proceed with caution.

He also suggested that prior to easing the restrictions, there should be a requirement for persons desirous of crossing the border into Ghana, to be vaccinated.

Again, he noted that “there should be vaccination guards at the borders, adding that the Immigration team should be tasked with the responsibility of inspecting vaccination cards.

“Unlike the airport that we are testing, we are going to be looking at the possession of vaccination cards, and that is what we think that it will be a game-changer if we need to open the borders.”