So Far So Good; No Positive Covid-19 Case Recorded At KIA – GHS

Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye

The Director-General at the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye has revealed that so far no positive cases of covid-19 has been recorded at the Kotoko International Airport (KIA).

The International Airport resumed operations on Tuesday, September 1 after the country's borders were closed for 6months.

Addressing a press conference at the Ministry of Information on Thursday morning in Accra, Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye has disclosed that all travelers that have come through KIA have tested negative.

“So far we have not recorded any positive case and that is what our ultimate aim is. Our ultimate aim is to ensure that people arrive here negative and truly negative.

“So that is why you do your pre-arrival test and then when you arrive here we confirm with another one to make sure”, he noted.

According to him, on the first day, a total of 217 passengers arrived from three different flights and were tested.

Though Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye could not give confirmation to the numbers that arrived and tested on Wednesday, he noted that no positive case has recorded.

He has assured that in due time, the full details of the tests conducted at the airport will be made public for transparency.

Below is the strict Covid-19 measures installed at the KIA:

a) any passenger arriving in Ghana must be in possession of a negative COVID-19 PCR test result from an accredited laboratory in the country of origin. The test should have been done not more than seventy-two (72) hours before the scheduled departure from the country of origin. All airlines have been instructed to ensure compliance with this directive for all passengers wishing to travel to Ghana, and those airlines who fail in this regard will be duly sanctioned;

b) disembarking passengers must do so wearing face masks;

c) upon disembarking from the aeroplane, each passenger will undergo a mandatory COVID-19 test at the airport terminal, at a fee to be borne by the passenger. The test result will be available within thirty (30) minutes;

d) children under the ages of five (5) will not be required to undergo testing at the airport;

e) passengers, who test positive for COVID-19, will be handled by the health authorities for further clinical assessment and management; and

f) passengers, who test negative, can, thereupon, enter Ghana to go about their lawful activities, and will be advised to continue to observe COVID-19 safety precautions during their stay in Ghana," the President announced.