The government, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, has placed a ban on flights arriving from Israel, South Korea, and Malta.
The travel ban to and from the three countries, which took effect yesterday, is the latest measure by the government to help limit the importation of the Omicron variant of Covid-19 into the country.
According to the ministry, the travel ban on Israel would last for 14 days and it excluded case on humanitarian grounds or during official visits where permission would have to be obtained from the ministry.
The ban on flights from South Korea would also last for 14 days while that of Malta is indefinite.
The ministry further noted that aside from the indefinite travel ban, “the Government of Ghana does not recognise any vaccine certificate from Malta.”
The ministry thus urged the travelling public to take note of the directive and adhere to it accordingly.
Travel Requirements
President Akufo-Addo in his 27th address outlined new travel requirements amidst the continuous closure of the country’s land borders.
All persons seeking to travel to the country in addition to being fully vaccinated must be in possession of a negative PCR test of not more than 72 hours, and also take a mandatory Covid-19 test upon arrival at the airport excluding children aged five to 12, he said.
Airlines which do not comply with the directive would be fined $3,500 for each passenger who arrives at the Kotoka International Airport without being fully vaccinated against Covid-19.
Again, unvaccinated Ghanaians and residents in Ghana, who departed the country before December 14, and who return by December 28, would be offered vaccination on arrival at the airport.
“The Ghana Health Service tells us that an overwhelming majority, that is, seventy-five per cent (75%), of the positive cases recorded at Kotoka have come from passengers who are not vaccinated,” President Akufo-Addo had said.
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri