UPDATED COVID-19 GUIDELINES AT KIA AIRPORT

February 26, 2021 Health Online

(Effective 8th February, 2021)
Covid-19 has placed restrictions on all countries, including ours. From the detection of the virus late 2019 until now, many governments have been placed in a difficult position to outline rules and procedures to govern movement and general business operations during this time. International travel was no exception. Even with the virus sticking its neck in our lives, work, business. Life, in general needed to go on. Ghana's Ministry of Health and Health Service put together a set of guidelines to govern international travel at the international airport in Accra, Ghana, Kotoka International Airport.

These guidelines are intended to provide information on travel requirements for both arriving and departing passengers from the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) and any other airport in Ghana where international departures or arrivals may occur.

"The Ministry of Health/Ghana Health Service put together these guidelines for use by all persons accessing or providing services at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) including passengers, airline staff, port health staff, security services, the Ghana Airports Company and the Ghana Immigration Service among others. Strict adherence to the measures instituted are the only sure way to ensuring that the KIA does not serve as a COVID-19 transmission hub. It is therefore imperative that all users of the airport support the Ghana Health Service through the Port Health Unit at KIA to ensure successful implementation of the guideline.

The Ghana Health Service has in addition to these guidelines liaised with Ghana Ambulance Service and the security agencies to provide safe transport for eligible persons to designated treatment/isolation centres. This is to ensure that persons diagnosed with COVID-19 on arrival or departure received optimum care for successful recovery from the disease.

The GHS/MOH will continue to liaise with all relevant agencies during the implementation of these guidelines and appropriately revise sections of the document where necessary to facilitate smooth implementation. Continuous review of operations and implementation will be undertaken." - Dr. Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, Director General, Ghana Health Service.

These sections of this guideline are based on the following categories of persons accessing the KIA as follows:

1. Departing Passengers

2. Arriving Passengers

3. Transit Passengers

Departing Passengers

All passengers on international travel originating in KIA will be required to meet the following requirements before departure:

1. Departing passengers will be required to adhere to COVID-19 testing requirements for the destination countries.

2. Departing passengers will undergo temperature screening at the entrance of Terminal 3 departures

3. Only passengers and persons with business in the terminal will be allowed entry

4. Online check - in or the use of self -service kiosks is strongly encouraged to reduce physical contact at the airport.

5. Passengers are advised to arrive at the airport at least 4 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Arriving Passengers

All international arrivals including those from the ECOWAS region will be required to meet the following health requirements prior to admission into Ghana by the Ghana Immigration Service

1. Must not have any symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 including body temperature >38°C

2. Possession of a COVID-19 negative PCR test result from an accredited laboratory in the country of origin.The test should have been done not more than 72 hours before the scheduled departure time from the country of origin.

3. Airlines who board passengers without PCR test result or transport and disembark passengers with Positive PCR test result into Accra will be fined US$3,500 per passenger.

Non-Ghanaians may be refused entry and returned to the point of embarkation at a cost to the Airline.
Ghanaians will be allowed entry but subject to 14 days of mandatory quarantine at a designated facility.

4. Arriving passengers will undergo temperature screening.

5. Ghanaian residents who depart Ghana and return within one (1) week will not be required to present a COVID-19 result from the country of departure. They will, however, undergo mandatory COVID-19 testing upon arrival in Ghana.

6. Passengers will be subjected to a mandatory COVID-19 test at the airport terminal at a cost to be borne by the passenger as indicated below:

Ghanaians and Ecowas Citizens -$50
All Other Passengers - $150

Payment MUST be made online at https://myfrontierhealthcare.com/Home/Ghana and proof of payment (receipt) shown to Airline before boarding.

7. Airlines who board passengers without proof of payment for the COVID-19 test and would/could NOT pay for the test in Ghana, will be fined US$3,500 per passenger.

Non-Ghanaian passengers may be refused entry and returned to the point of embarkation at a cost to the Airline.
Ghanaian passengers will have their passports seized; the passenger handed over to State Security Agencies and taken into a fourteen (14) day quarantine at a designated location at the passenger’scost.

8. All arriving passengers who test positive for COVID-19 will undergo mandatory isolation and treatment at a designated health facility or isolation centre, at a cost to passengers, EXCEPT Ghanaian citizens. The isolation will be for a period

of seven (7) days. However, the final discharge of cases will be based on existing case management guidelines and protocols.

9. All passengers who test negative for COVID-19 will be required to continuously adhere to COVID-19 safety protocols and will receive regular information on COVID-19 within five (5) days of arrival in Ghana.

10. Passengers who test negative will be advised to continue to observe COVID-19 safety precautions following arrival in Ghana.

11. For passengers who transit through other countries before arriving in Ghana, the first country of departure will be the reference point. (Connecting flights should not deny passenger boarding, as long as the journey has not been terminated in any of the transit countries.

Transit Passengers

a) Passengers transiting and transferring through Accra will not be required to take the COVID-19 test in Accra.

b) Transit passengers will be required to adhere to COVID-19 testing requirements for the destination countries.

Travelling with Pets

a) Travelling with pets into Ghana is allowed in line with guidelines of the Veterinary Services Directorate of the Ministry of Food & Agriculture.

Below is the Passenger Flow for International Arrivals at the Airport:

Management of Confirmed Cases of COVID-19

All persons confirmed COVID-19 positive will be handled by the Port Health Unit for the remainder of their arrival processes. Following completion of the arrival procedures, they will be sent to the Ga East Municipal Hospital for further clinical assessment and management.

Passengers must wear face mask appropriately (extending from the middle nasal bridge to halfway between the chin and the neck) and are advised to regularly use any of the hand sanitizing stations provided in the terminal.

Conclusion

To further information, please contact the GACL Contact Centre on: 0302-550612

Source

Ministry of Health/Ghana Health Service

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