Borders remain closed – Aviation Ministry clarifies rumors about reopening

The Ministry of Aviation has debunked claims that Ghana’s border entry points will be reopened next week. They have labelled the suggestions as false, and urged that they be disregarded by the public.

This follows news circulating on various social media platforms claiming ‘government was considering reopening’ Ghana’s borders in the wake of the coronavirus-induced closures to human traffic.

According to a circular issued and signed by the Public Relations Officer at the Aviation Ministry, Madeleine Insaidoo, the sector minister, Joseph Kofi Adda has in no way stated, granted an interview or issued a press release to that effect for the reopening of the country’s borders.

“The Ministry wishes to inform the general public that the above news item is false and that no point in time has Hon. Joseph Kofi Adda, Minister for Aviation stated this in any interview or press release. So, it should be disregarded,” the circular read.

For now, Ghana’s borders will remain closed to human traffic despite government’s resolve to repatriate some stranded Ghanaians citizens from abroad in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

Foreign Affairs Minister, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, earlier on June 16, 2020 at the Ministers press briefing, disclosed that some 856 Ghanaians citizens who had been stranded abroad due to the pandemic have since returned.

Citizens returning from abroad and foreign nationals with Ghanaian residence permits will be subject to a 14-day mandatory quarantine period, should they show symptoms of the virus.

Background

President Akufo-Addo, earlier in May this year announced an indefinite extension of the closure of the country’s borders to human traffic as a result of the persistent spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

At the present, only domestic flight operations are ongoing at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) as announced by the Aviation Ministry on May, 1 2020 following the adoption of safety measures amongst other protocols developed to guide operators of domestic flights to contain the spread of coronavirus on-board flights.

Read the Aviation Ministry’s circular below: