The Ghana Health Service (GHS) will from today, January 6, 2023, begin the implementation of the revised protocols at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA), following the increase in COVID-19 cases in China.

Per the revised protocols, all air travellers arriving from China will now be required to present a negative PCR COVID test result, not older than 48 hours before departure.

The travellers will also undergo another test on arrival at the airport at no cost.

Speaking to Citi News, Director of Public Health at the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Franklin Asiedu-Bekoe, said this has become necessary to ensure that Ghana does not record a spike in COVID-19 cases.

“We are making an assumption that there is a threat coming from China, so if you are coming from China and have vaccinated or not, to us, we assume that you haven’t been vaccinated, and then we test you. So that is the change we are trying to introduce.”

“We are trying to address the uncertainty around China, so with time when we realise that the cases are the same, then, in that case, they are not different from what is happening. That is why we introduced the revised protocols,” Dr. Asiedu-Bekoe explained.