The Government of Ghana has cautioned Ghanaians against travelling to China as Covid-19 cases spike in the Asian country.

In a travel alert, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, said as much as possible, only essential trips should be undertaken until further notice.

The Foreign Affairs Ministry also stated that effective Friday, January 6, all persons travelling from China to Ghana will have to produce a 48-hour negative PCR test and undergo mandatory antigen testing at a point of entry free of charge until further notice.

Covid-19 cases in China have increased rapidly in the last few months after the country relaxed its Covid rules.

While official estimates suggest there are 4,000 cases of Covid a day, scientists estimate the number is more like 1 million. Analysts believe the official death tolls are similarly unreliable. The lack of transparency from the Chinese government, and the lack of trust in what it’s saying about its domestic outbreak, has prompted concern across the world.

China is set to lift its travel ban on January 8, 2023. China introduced travel restrictions during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

The US, Italy, Japan, Taiwan and India are among the countries that have already introduced strict checks on flights coming from China.

The UK also now has a requirement for travellers from China to England to provide a pre-departure negative test.

In addition, the UK Health Security Agency will soon start monitoring a sample of passengers to keep track of any new variants arriving.