Ghana closes borders to stop spread of Coronavirus

Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah announced on Sunday there has been four more confirmed cases of the Coronavirus in Ghana, making it a total of six cases in the country since the first two were announced last week.

All the four new cases, as well as the initial two cases, were imported by travellers who had arrived in the country from abroad.

And as part of government's precautionary measures to contain the spread of the Coronavirus in the country, the government has issued a six-point travel advisory steps, which includes the closure of the country's borders to countries which have registered more than 200 cases of the Coronavirus, as well as a strong advice discouraging all travels to Ghana.

The six-point travel advisory steps by the government are as follows:

1. All travel to Ghana is strongly discouraged until further notice.

2. Any traveller except for Ghanaian citizens and persons with Ghana residence permit who, within the last 14 days has been to a county that has recorded at least 200 cases of COVID-19 will not be admitted into the Ghanaian jurisdiction. Airlines are instructed not to allow such persons to embark. Border posts are instructed not to allow such persons into the jurisdiction," said the government's statement.

3. There will be a mandatory 14-day self quarantine for persons who are otherwise allowed to enter the Ghanaian jurisdiction. Guidelines for self quarantine will be available at the various Ghanaian ports of entry. Enforcement protocols are being deployed in collaboration with state security and health authorities. Persons determined to be unable to satisfactorily self quarantine will be quarantined by the state.

4. Any admissible traveller who exhibits symptoms of Covid-19 will be quarantined and tested upon reaching Ghana.

5. Item 1 of this statement takes immediate effect.

6. Items 2, 3, and 4 takes effect at 1 p.m. on Tuesday March 17, 2020.

Prior to the confirmation of Ghana's first case of the Coronavirus, the government had announced the immediate suspension of all foreign trips by public officials.

Subsequent to that, the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo addressed the nation and announced the release of $100m to help combat the spread of the virus through public education as well as the purchase of medical equipment.

The President also announced precautionary steps from health authorities and urged the citizenry to abide by the steps to protect themselves.