Ghana has announced new COVID-19 restrictions for Chinese travelers intending to enter the country.
The restrictions will take effect from January 6, 2023, the Ghana Airports Company Limited announced on its website on Tuesday.
GACL’s updated COVID-19 guidelines noted that all international passengers, including those from the Economic Community of West African States region, must complete a Port Health Declaration Form before boarding a flight to Ghana.
The 15 members of ECOWAS are Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo.
The guidelines that were posted on the GACL website read in part: “All persons arriving in Ghana (citizens, residents and visitors) who are fully vaccinated will be exempt from any form of testing conducted prior to shipment from the country of origin. or on arrival. in Ghana, except for passengers originating their journey from China.
“Passengers traveling from China must present a valid negative COVID-19 PCR test result 48 hours before departure from the country of origin. In addition, such passengers will be required to undergo mandatory COVID-19 testing upon arrival at Kotoka International Airport free of charge.
“All other passengers originating from somewhere other than China (i.e. Ghanaian citizens, Ghanaian permanent residents or non-Ghanaians), who are partially vaccinated or unvaccinated, will be required to present a valid negative PCR test result. COVID-19 48 hours before departure from the country of origin. In addition, such passengers will be required to undergo mandatory COVID-19 testing upon arrival at Kotoka International Airport free of charge.
“In addition to the above, passengers may be randomly selected and offered a test upon arrival.
“Non-Ghanaians traveling to Kotoka International Airport with false or forged vaccination certificates will be quarantined and returned to the point of embarkation at their expense.
“Airlines bringing passengers to Kotoka International Airport who are not fully vaccinated or passengers traveling from China without a valid negative COVID-19 PCR test result 48 hours prior to departure will be charged a surcharge of $3,500. ”.
The COVID-19 update also noted that all arriving will undergo a temperature check, yellow fever card check, and COVID-19 vaccination certificate check as required.
He said that passengers transiting and transferring through KIA will have to fully comply with COVID-19 testing requirements in destination countries.
However, it added that children under the age of 18 are exempt from mandatory vaccination, pre-departure PCR testing and testing on arrival in Ghana.
“Airline crew are exempt from pre-departure and arrival COVID-19 testing and must follow airline policy for testing.
“Passengers arriving in emergency circumstances, such as diverted flights, should not be tested if they do not leave the airport or remain isolated in their hotel,” it added.
