Director of Public Health at the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr. Franklin Asiedu Bekoe, has confirmed the country is undertaking mandatory COVID-19 testing for all travellers coming into the country from China.
He explained this move is to ensure Ghana does not import COVID-19 to plague its citizens.
China has been pursuing a zero COVID-19 policy. As part of measures to rid the country of the virus, they embarked on an intensive nationwide vaccination, fumigation and other meaures to uproot the virus.
China has now opened its borders fully with its nationals travelling freely in and out of the country.
Some nations have however closed their borders to Chinese nationals as the sub variants of the omnicron emerges.
Addressing the rise of the COVID-19 virus globally and measures put in place to protect Ghana, Dr. Asiedu Bekoe told Samuel Eshun on the Happy Morning Show, “Most cases of the pandemic found in the country are imported cases. Globally, COVID-19 cases are on the rise with countries like the UK, USA and China recording high infection rates.
China was chasing a zero COVID-19 policy and now they’ve opened up. Because of the huge number Chinese nationals and others travelling to and from the country, we need to be careful, hence the mandatory testing of all travellers coming into Ghana from China.”
He indicated that random testing is being undertaken for persons traveling into Ghana from other countries, a move to prevent importation of the virus.
Although globally cases of the COVID-19 pandemic are soaring, Ghana is relatively in the clear recording a case load of between 20 to 30 cases in the past few months.
Dr. Asiedu Bekoe urged Ghanaians to receive vaccinations and booster shots agaisnt the virus as the government also plays its part in preventing a spike in positive cases in the country.
By: Joel Sanco