The Research Center for Policy Advocacy and Governance – ReCPAG is calling on the government of Ghana to close borders with countries on the Covid-19 red list to help halt the influx of virus cases in the country.
In a press statement signed by Mumuni Believer Likpalmor, the Executive Director of ReCPAG, they have “sighted a letter dated April 24, 2021 from Frontiers Health Services, bringing to the attention of the Management of Kotoka International Airport and copied the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, of the alarming rate of Positive Covid19 cases in recent times at the nation’s premier Airport.”
“In the said letter signed by Dr Kudzo Seneadza (MD), 75 Positive Cases were recorded on the 24th April, 2021 against 45 Positive Cases on 21st April, 2021, describing the increase as unprecedented. Aside the latent stage of the virus that could cause one to test negative due to low virial load, ReCPAG believes it is either falsification of results or relaxation of the Protocols that could lead to this recent hike.” Mr. Likpalmor added
According to him, “As part of the measures to curb the above and further prevent the importation of the virus into the country, the President directed all travellers to provide a negative covid-19 test report undertaken 72 hours before arrival, as well as undergo the mandatory PCR test at the KIA.”
ReCPAG is therefore calling “on the government, Ghana Health Service and the airport authorities to, as a matter of urgency, revise and digitize the verification of proof of negative test with the laboratory entities that conducted the test before embarkment to enable us to decrease, if not prevent, the influx of the new strains that are ravaging other countries into Ghana.”
The think tank also wants the government to “take the bull by the horn and close borders with red list countries that are currently going through third waves of the pandemic to avert seepage of the positive cases into the country.”
Read the full statement:
CLOSE BORDERS WITH RED LIST COUNTRIES TO HALT INFLUX OF COVID19 CASES IN GHANA.
The Research Center for Policy Advocacy and Governance has sighted a letter dated April 24, 2021 from Frontiers Health Services, bringing to the attention of the Management of Kotoka International Airport and copied the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, of the alarming rate of Positive Covid19 cases in recent times at the nation’s premier Airport.
In the said letter signed by Dr Kudzo Seneadza (MD), 75 Positive Cases were recorded on the 24th April, 2021 against 45 Positive Cases on 21st April, 2021, describing the increase as unprecedented.Aside the latent stage of the virus that could cause one to test negative due to low virial load, ReCPAG believes it is either falsification of results or relaxation of the Protocols that could lead to this recent hike.
As part of the measures to curb the above and further prevent the importation of the virus into the country, the President directed all travellers to provide a negative covid-19 test report undertaken 72 hours before arrival, as well as undergo the mandatory PCR test at the KIA.
ReCPAG, therefore, wish to use this medium to call on the government, Ghana Health Service and the airport authorities to, as a matter of urgency, revise and digitize the verification of proof of negative test with the laboratory entities that conducted the test before embarkment to enable us to decrease, if not prevent, the influx of the new strains that are ravaging other countries into Ghana.
Secondly, Government must take the bull by the horn and close borders with red list countries that are currently going through third waves of the pandemic to avert seepage of the positive cases into the country.
Furthermore, Government must impose a fine and ban airlines that fail to do due diligence before bringing in passengers who may confirm Positive after the antigen test at KIA.
In conclusion, we entreat the Public to strictly adhere to the safety Protocols especially as a greater percentage of the population is yet to be vaccinated.
Signed:
Mumuni Believer Likpalmor
Executive Director
Tel: 0501062925/0558370287
