The President of the Republic of Ghana has declared that all airlines who attempt to allow unvaccinated passengers into the country by air would be charged a fine of $3500. The government has decided to implement these strict measures to contain the third wave of the COVID vaccine in the country including mandatory vaccination of all passengers who wish to come to Ghana.
In his 27th COVID 19 address to the nation yesterday, 15th December, 2021, the president, Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo-Addo, stated that 75% of cases reported at Kotoka International Airport come from passengers who have not been vaccinated. In response to this, the government has thought it wise to take stern measures to control the situation.
“All persons travelling outside have to be fully vaccinated beginning Tuesday, 14th December. All visitors coming to Ghana must also be vaccinated. Fully vaccinated persons coming to Ghana must in addition be in possession of a negative PCR test of not more than 72 hours and also take a mandatory COVID test upon arrival. Children aged 5-12 will not pay for the test. Also, any passenger testing positive at the airport will be kept in isolation at the designated isolation facility. A non-Ghanaian will receive treatment at his own cost”.
All these measures are to be rigorously enforced in a bid to control the spread of the virus especially in this Christmas season. From previous observations, the country is usually populated in the month of December because of the return of the Diaspora as well as several events such as musical concerts, religious events, weddings, funerals, etc which are held to celebrate the Yuletide.
The president therefore admonished all Ghanaians to be extra cautious to implement all safety protocols and enhanced hygiene protocols including washing of hands, use of sanitizers, wearing of masks, social distancing, organizing events in open spaces as well as encouraging vaccination to prevent a spike in reported cases like we experienced in 2020.
“Getting the jab is the best route out of the pandemic because according to WHO, it reduces the risk of death, hospitalization and spread of the virus”, the President added.
