Ghana requires proof of vaccin

Passengers arrive at the Kotoka International Airport in Accra, Ghana, on 2 September, 2020. – Ghana reopened its international airport on 1 September, 2020 but with new regulations in place to curb the spread of the coronavirus, the president announced.
Kotoka International Airport, located outside the capital Accra, was closed in March along with other border points in a bid to contain the virus in the west African country. Photo:Nipah Dennis / AFP

Ghana requires proof of vaccination for travellers

Health authorities in Ghana have issued new travel guidelines requiring proof of vaccination. Here’s what you need to know.

Ghana requires proof of vaccin

Passengers arrive at the Kotoka International Airport in Accra, Ghana, on 2 September, 2020. – Ghana reopened its international airport on 1 September, 2020 but with new regulations in place to curb the spread of the coronavirus, the president announced.
Kotoka International Airport, located outside the capital Accra, was closed in March along with other border points in a bid to contain the virus in the west African country. Photo:Nipah Dennis / AFP

Public health authorities in Ghana have introduced new travel guidelines requiring visitors to show proof of vaccination against Covid-19 from next week as the government tries to avert a fourth wave of infections.

Under new rules coming into effect from midnight on Sunday, travellers “will be required to provide evidence of full vaccination,” Ghana’s director-general of health services, Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, said. 

“All Ghanaians travelling out of the country are to be fully vaccinated,” he added in a statement late Thursday. 

The West African nation has administered just over 5.7 million doses and virus cases are low. 

UNVACCINATED RESIDENTS ELIGIBLE TO RETURN TO GHANA

Unvaccinated Ghanaians and residents currently outside the country who intend to return within 14 days of the deadline will still be allowed in. 

A man receives an Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine from a health worker at the Ridge Hospital in Accra, Ghana, on 2 March, 2021. Photo: Nipah Dennis / AFP

“However, they would be vaccinated on arrival at the airport,” said Kuma-Aboagye.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS STAND

Other travel requirements such as a negative PCR test prior to travel and an antigen test on arrival to Ghana remain in place. 

The country has recorded just over 131 000 cases and 1 200 deaths since the start of the pandemic. 

UNICEF representative to Ghana Anne-Claire Dufay (L) speaks as she presents a shipment of Covid-19 vaccines from the Covax global Covid-19 vaccination programme to Ghana’s government representatives, at the Kotoka International Airport in Accra, on 24 February, 2021. – Ghana received the first shipment of Covid-19 vaccines from Covax, a global scheme to procure and distribute inoculations for free, as the world races to contain the pandemic. Covax, launched last April to help ensure a fairer distribution of coronavirus vaccines between rich and poor nations, said it would deliver two billion doses to its members by the end of the year. Photo: Nipah Dennis / AFP

Ghana along with neighbouring Nigeria said last week it had detected cases of the new COVID-19 variant, Omicron. 

Several countries in Europe and Asia have imposed vaccine passports for travel or to access certain public spaces.

Britain announced this week it will require proof of vaccination to enter nightclubs and other large entertainment venues. 

© Agence France-Presse