Ghana Health Service releases guidelines
The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has issued guidelines for the safe reopening of international travel in the country amidst the Covid-19 outbreak. Ghana’s borders – air, sea, land – have remained closed since March when the country recorded some positive cases of Covid-19. Government indicated that the move was to prevent the importation of more positive cases into the country.
President Akufo-Addo in his 15th address to the nation on government’s fight against the spread of the virus disclosed its intention for the easing of the country’s air travel restrictions to enable Ghanaians who are stranded abroad to return home. In this regard, the Service has also issued some guidelines for the safe resumption of international air travel ahead of the reopening of airports.
The guidelines captured in a notice from GHS to the management of the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) requires the airport to ensure “temperature monitoring continues at both arrival and departure terminals.” The management of Kotoka International Airport (KIA) is also to ensure “compulsory mask wearing for all passengers (both arriving and departing) as well as staff”.
In the notice, the service also indicated that it had observed overcrowding as one of the factors contributing to the spread of the virus, therefore it urged Ghana’s only international airport to “ensure there is no congestion at all sections of the airport. GHS wants all departments of the airport (arrival, departure and environs) to enforce strict social distancing protocols.
The Ghana Health Service further stated that KIA must “ensure social distancing and compulsory mask-wearing at the car parks and in front of all terminals.”
