President Akufo-Addo says as part of measures to ensure that passengers arriving at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) do not present fake COVID-19 test results, the country’s airport will now accept only COVID-19 test results bearing the trusted travel or biomars codes.
Delivering his 25th address to the nation on measures the government is taking to curb the COVID-19 pandemic, he said, “To prevent fake COVID-19 PCR certificates being used to enter our country, Government, through the Ministry of Health, has begun the process of digitising PCR test results to ensure ease of verification.
“The technology platform being used at KIA is based on standards set by the Africa Trust Travel and ECOWAS Biomars. All travellers arriving in Ghana must have test results or certificates bearing the trusted travel or biomars codes to be acceptable at KIA” President Akufo-Addo warned.
KIA testing regime
President Akufo-Addo indicated that the new arrangement is in direct response to recent increases in the number of positive COVID-19 cases recorded at KIA.
This phenomenon, the President says is because health officials believe some persons were arriving in the country with fake PCR test results from their various countries of origin. According to the President, health officials in Ghana have re-evaluated the testing regime in place at KIA and they are satisfied with same.
“We have re-evaluated quality checks on testing at KIA, and we are satisfied with the sensitivity and specificity of the testing regime there. All arriving passengers who test positive will follow the laid down procedure. Those who test negative from designated COVID-19 hotspots, and testing negative at KIA, may be subjected to a repeat test on the third day of arrival” President Akufo-Addo said.
President Akufo-Addo said beginning Wednesday 19 May 2021, the administering of the second doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine for all those who took their first jabs nearly 12 weeks ago will commence.
He added that health officials will in the coming days provide further details on the arrangements that have been put in place for the exercise.
“Beginning Wednesday, 19 May, to Wednesday, 26 May, the deployment of the second dose of vaccines will take place across the designated vaccination centres in the 43 districts, approximately 12 weeks after the first jab, as the science prescribes. More details of the deployment will be communicated by the Ghana Health Service in the coming week” President Akufo-Addo added.
