President Akufo-Addo is expected to address the nation tonight on new measures taken by the country in the fight against COVID-19.
This will be his 16th national address on the subject since Ghana recorded its first two cases of the virus in March 2020.
Today’s address, scheduled for 8 pm, comes amidst high expectations for the reopening of the country’s air borders.
In his previous address, President Akufo-Addo said while the country’s “borders, by air, land, and sea, remain closed to human traffic,” he had instructed the Aviation Ministry to work with other agencies to assess the country’s readiness to reopen the airport for international travel.
He indicated that by September 1, 2020 , he was hopeful that the country will be in a position to decide whether the airport could be reopened.
“I know many still ask when our borders, especially our international airport, Kotoka International Airport, will be open. Under my instructions, the Ministry of Aviation, the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority and the Ghana Airports Co. Ltd., have been working, with the Ministry of Health and its agencies, to ascertain our readiness to reopen our airport. I want to ensure that we are in a position to test every single passenger that arrives in the country to avoid the spread of the virus. The outcome of that exercise will show us the way, and determine when we can reopen our border by air. I am hoping that, by God’s grace, we will be ready to do so by 1st September,” he said.
The Aviation Minister, Joseph Kofi Adda after a tour of the airport last week, said he was satisfied with the measures put in place so far.
70 booths had been created for the collection of COVID-19 samples at the Kotoka International Airport while some testing centres have also been established to help fast track testing for COVID-19.
“From my understanding, the south side and the north side both have about 35 samples taking booths. There is a testing wing in there where the samples will be sent and tested and then that would be electronically transmitted. By the time they get down here, the result would have been ready. Whoever is negative will just pick up their baggage and go. Whoever is positive will be held back by the port health officials and counselled,” Kofi Adda said.
