General News of Thursday, 3 September 2020

Source: mynewsgh.com

KIA reopening: No passenger has tested positive for coronavirus – Kofi Adda

Joseph Kofi Adda, Minister for Aviation Joseph Kofi Adda, Minister for Aviation

“So far, none of the passengers who arrived in the country have tested positive for COVID-19 since the reopening of the Kotoka International Airport”, Minister of Aviation Mr. Joseph Kofi Adda has confirmed.

According to Mr. Kofi Adda, a daily total of about 420 passengers have been recorded so far.

President Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo during his 16th national address on measures taken to control the spread of the Coronavirus on Sunday, August 30, added that the country’s airport will resume operation.

“I am glad to announce that Kotoka International Airport will reopen and resume operations from Tuesday, September 1, 2020. This decision has been communicated to all international airlines,” President Akufo Addo said.

The President also noted that, passengers who travel into the country should do a COVID-19 test not more than 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 would be sanctioned.

The cost of the test would be borne by the passenger and the test results would be available within thirty minutes. However, children aged five years and below are not required to undergo testing at the airport, he added.

However, speaking with Bernard Avle on Citi TV on the programme “Point Of View” monitored by MyNewsGh.com Mr. Kofi Adda revealed that “so far since we started on 1st September till today, out of the passengers who are coming, all of them tested negative”.

The minister further revealed that the government is going to bear the cost of treatment of people who may test positive after their arrival adding that, Ghanaian citizens would not be given any special treatment.

As of September 2, Ghana’s COVID-19 cases stood at 44, 460 with 162 new cases in the latest update provided by the Ghana Health Service. Out of this, 43,121 clinical recoveries have been recorded.

The country currently has 1, 063 whiles the country’s death toll is 276.