Coronavirus testing: Noncompliant airlines face US$3,500 fine per passenger

The Ghana Airports Company Limited has announced that effective 6 pm Tuesday, September 22, 2020, airlines that fly passengers who do not possess PCR tests or disembark passengers with positive PCR tests at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) in Accra will be charged a fine of US$3,500 per passenger.

The airport authorities have also indicated that non-Ghanaians who on arrival will test positive at KIA "may be refused entry and returned to the point of embarkation at a cost to the offending airline."

In a recent update on its COVID-19 operational guidelines, the Ghana Airport Company Limited added that, Ghanaians who test positive on arrival will be allowed entry but subject to a 14-day mandatory quarantine at a government-approved facility and at a cost to the passenger.

The GACL after months of closure commenced operations at the Kotoka International Airport on Tuesday, September 1, 2020.

The reopening of the airport followed the announcement by president Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo during his 16th televised address to the nation on the measure taken by the government to curb the spread of the COVID-19 outbreak in the country.

See below the latest COVID-19 operational guidelines released by the Ghana Airport Company Limited.

Arriving Passengers

All international arriving passengers, including those from the ECOWAS region, will be required to meet the following health requirements prior to admission into Ghana:

a. Passengers must not have symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 including body temperature >38°C

b. Passengers must possess a COVID-19 negative PCR test from an accredited laboratory in the country of origin.

c. The test should have been done not more than 72 hours before the scheduled departure time from the country of origin.

d. Airlines who board passengers without PCR test result or transport and disembark passengers with Positive PCR test result into Accra will be fined US$3,500 per passenger.

- Non-Ghanaians may be refused entry and returned to the point of embarkation at a cost to the Airline.

- Ghanaians will be allowed entry but subject to 14 days of mandatory quarantine at a facility approved by the Government and at a cost to the passenger.

e. Arriving passengers will undergo temperature screening

f. Ghanaian residents who depart Ghana and return within one (1) week will not be required to present a COVID-19 result from the country of departure. They will, however, undergo mandatory COVID-19 testing upon arrival in Ghana.

g. Passengers will be subjected to a mandatory COVID-19 test at the airport terminal at a cost of $150 to be borne by the passenger. Payment can be made online at https://myfrontierhealthcare.com/Home/Ghana. Any passenger who is unable to pay online will be required to make payment on arrival for the test.

h. Any Passenger who refuses to pay to undergo the COVID-19 test will be subjected to the following;

- Passenger's passport will be seized, and passenger handed over to State Security Agencies

- Passenger will be taken into a fourteen (14) day quarantine at a designated location at the passenger's cost.

i. Passengers who test positive upon arrival will receive further clinical assessment and treatment.

j. Passengers who test negative will be advised to continue to observe COVID-19 safety precautions following arrival in Ghana.

k. For passengers who transit through other countries before arriving in Ghana, the first country of departure will be the reference point. (Connecting flights should not deny passenger boarding, as long as the journey has not been terminated in any of the transit countries).

Transit Passengers

a. Passengers transiting and transferring through Accra will not be required to take the COVID-19 test in Accra.

b. Transit passengers will be required to adhere to COVID-19 testing requirements for the destination countries.

Exemptions

a. Airline crew are exempted from the pre-departure and arrival COVID-19 testing and should follow the Airline policy for testing.

b. Children under 5 years of age will not be required to undergo testing on Arrival at the Kotoka International Airport.

c. Passengers who arrive under emergency circumstances such as diverted flights will not be required the airport or remain in isolation in their room.

d. Passengers must wear face mask appropriately (extending from the middle nasal bridge to halfway between the chin and the neck) and are advised to regularly use any of the hand sanitizing stations provided in the terminal.

Travelling with Pets

a. Travelling with pets into Ghana is allowed in line with guidelines of the Veterinary Services Directorate of the Ministry of Food & Agriculture.

Departing Passengers

All international departing passengers will be required to meet the following guidelines prior to departure:

a. Passengers will be required to adhere to COVID-19 testing requirements for the destination countries

b. Departing passengers will undergo temperature screening at the entrance of Terminal 3 departures.

c. Only passengers and persons with business in the terminal will be allowed entry

d. Online check-in or the use of self-service kiosks is strongly encouraged to reduce physical contact at the airport.

e. Passengers are advised to arrive at the airport at least 4 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Passengers must wear face mask appropriately (extending from the middle nasal bridge to halfway between the chin and the neck) and are advised to regularly use any of the hand sanitizing stations provided in the terminal.