Government has released guidelines for the easing of coronavirus restrictions on Ghana’s tourism and hospitality subsectors.

Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Barbara Oteng-Gyasi, read out the guidelines to the media on Thursday, June 4, 2020, at the Information Ministry in Accra.

Among the guidelines is the no nose mask, no entry policy for hotels, restaurants and guest houses.

Also, night clubs, drinking bars are to remain closed until further notice.

Below are the guidelines as presented by the Minister

All Food and Beverage establishments (Restaurants, chop bars, Highway Rest Stops, Fast Foods, Coffee/Tea Shops, Snack Bars, may operate with the following guidelines;

i. Display of “No Mask No Entry” signage and ensure that all patrons are wearing masks on entry.

ii. Provision of soap and running water and hand sanitisers/disinfectant gels with a paper towel at public areas. Guests should be reminded when entering and leaving to wash their hands or disinfect their hands with disinfectant gel, preferably located at the entrance to those facilities.

iii. Limit the number of guests for dining to 50% of current carrying capacity of the restaurant to ensure adequate spacing for seating and to maintain social distancing of at least 1 metre

iv. Regular disinfection of surfaces. Where use of bleach is not suitable, e.g. telephone, remote control equipment, door handles, buttons in the elevator, etc. then alcohol-based sanitisers (70% and above) must be used.

v. Buffet style of service ( if necessary ) must :

a. Limit communal handling of serving cutlery.

b. When necessary, change tongs and ladles more frequently, always leaving these items in separate containers.

c. Clean and disinfect the buffet surfaces after each service.

vii. Wearing of mask and protective wear by kitchen staff viii. Kitchen staff must wash hands with soap and running water frequently (maximum every 15mins.) and dispose of used paper towel in a bin immediately

B. Events:

Conferences, awards, workshops and weddings

Reception (Entry

i. Display of “No Mask No Entry” signage and ensure that all patrons are wearing masks on entry .Event organizers may supply facemasks as souvenirs at entrances in case any person arrives without a face mask.

ii. Enough Veronica buckets together with tissues and stand-alone sanitizer dispensers must be positioned strategically at venue entrances in a manner as to prevent queueing and crowding. People in a queue must stand at least a meter apart.

iii. Strictly washing of hands before entering event venues.

iv. Ushers upon application of hand sanitizers at entrances shall escort guests to their seats

v. Observing strict social distancing of not less than 1 metre.

vi. Maximum of 50% of carrying capacity or 100 people per event

2. Activities

i. To critically observe social-distancing, tables usually designed for 10 chairs shall be reduced to 50% of the current seating capacity take (5 chairs)

ii. MCs shall be required to initiate activities/demonstrations that touch on curtailing the spread of Covid-19

iii. As much as possible, PA facilities shall be required to provide at least two microphones: and carefully sanitized after each use.

iv. Use of hand sanitizers at the table should be encouraged.

v. Observing 1-meter distance between guests and at least 1-meter interval in between tables is recommended.

vi. Accredited individuals shall manage events only. i.e. corporate event houses and certified professionals by the associations or recognized professional bodies

vii. All event organisers must be duly licensed by Ghana Tourism Authority

viii. All events shall be time-constrained so as not keep guests for too long

ix. There shall be the presence of a designated health and safety liaison person amongst the organisers

3.Venues

i. Venues shall conform to regulatory standards.

ii. Venues must have adequate space and covid friendly washrooms iii. Washrooms at venues should now have stand by janitors to clean and disinfect after each visit during an event.

iv. Venues will have to ensure or arrange for uninterrupted supply of services such as water.

Food and drinks

i. To avoid movement and contact, plates can be placed on guests’ tables in the course of the program so guests can pick their plates for buffets and be served by caterer and staff.

ii. Guests can make their cocktail and drink requests through hand gloves wearing waiters and cocktails can be served with disposable cups within the venue

C. Tourist sites and attraction

i. All Tourist Sites and Attractions may apply to the Ghana Tourism Authority to be allowed to open after they have put in place precautionary measures. The Tourism Authority will inspect such measures before allowing them to operate. For the avoidance of doubt, these measures include:

a. Enough Veronica buckets together with tissues and stand-alone sanitizer dispensers shall be positioned strategically at venue entrances in a manner as to prevent queueing and crowding. People in a queue must stand at least a meter apart.

b. Strictly washing of hands before entering a site or attraction

c. Mandatory wearing of face masks before entry.

ii. Observing strict social distancing of not less than 1 metre.

iii. Maximum of 100 people at a time

iv. Provision of designated isolation areas in their facilities

D. Night clubs and drinking bars

i. All Night Clubs and Drinking Bars must remain closed.