The government of Ghana is taking a tough stance against carriers who continue to bring in passengers without fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The fine for each person who arrives unvaccinated will be $3,500 USD.
The Ghanaian government has announced that airlines will be penalized for not filling out the Kotoka international airport health declaration form in advance. Passengers who do not submit this information can face fines.
The airport authority announced that foreigners may be refused entry if they don’t meet the requirements. Ghanaians who don’t meet the requirements will be allowed to enter and undergo a 14-day quarantine.
During the past two weeks, 60% of cases recorded in Ghana have come from airports, the country announced a day after requiring full vaccinations from all passengers over 18 years old.
“As the number of COVID-19 cases has been on the rise as well as the detection of the Omicron variant among international arrivals, and as an increased number of cases is expected during the festive season, it is essential that necessary measures are taken to prevent a major spike in COVID-19 cases in Ghana,” the Ghana Health Service said last week in announcing its decision.
With a population of 31 million, Ghana has among the best COVID-19 testing in West Africa. Since the outbreak began, 132,000 confirmed cases have been reported and 1,243 people have died.
