Massive disinfection exercise carried out at Kotoka International Airport

The Ministry of Aviation (MoA) and Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL) are leaving nothing to chance in their effort to ensure that the country’s airports are safe and secure in the midst of the new coronavirus disease (Covid-19)

It is the light of the above that the two state entities engaged waste management and disinfection experts, Zoomlion Ghana Limited (ZGL), to undertake a massive disinfection exercise at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA).

The two-hour exercise, which was carried out from Thursday, January 14, around 11:30 p.m. to Friday, January 15, 1:30 a.m., was to help rid the airport of Covid-19 tendencies.

All facets of the airport including its open spaces were thoroughly disinfected. In addition, the Zoomlion disinfection crew dusted all touchable surfaces and gadgets of the airport.

Speaking to the media, the Head of Vector Control Unit of Zoomlion Ghana Limited, Reverend Ebenezer Kwame Addae, explained that the disinfection of the KIA had been necessitated by the new wave of the virus.

“It has become necessary for us to reinforce the disinfection exercise looking at the wave of Covid-19.The beginning is very very important but the ending is crucial so therefore, we are not relenting on our effort to ensure that the success we have chalked continues,” he assured.

According to him, even though the KIA authorities have their own internal Covid-19 mechanisms and protocols, the disinfection exercise was to further augment their effort in ensuring safety at the airport.

He noted that Ghana’s first Covid cases were imported, recounting that they came through the airport.

Against this backdrop, Reverend Addae emphasised the need for his company [Zoomlion] to increase its presence at the airports through disinfections “so that it will calm every nerve coming through the airport.”

He added that disinfection was one of the potent arsenals in combating this malignant virus.

“We all know that Covid is real and the speed at which it is taking the lives of people at the global level, we as a middle income country need to position ourselves well so our human capital is derailed,” Rev Addae urged.

“That is why we have met here to reinforce our monthly disinfection that we started last month to be able to beef up the activity of disinfection because per the WHO, the first step to combat this virus is disinfection,” he said.

The Zoomlion Vector Control Unit boss also indicated that his outfit was leaving no stone unturned in ensuring that the fight against the pandemic was won.

Later, he mentioned that though the previous disinfectant the company was using was potent, it was now using a WHO recommended disinfectant which has high residual activity that can last long.

“Higher residual activity in a sense that it can take 26 to 28 days before its active ingredients will be less,” he explained further.

Rev Addae hinted that the ministry of aviation which oversees activities of the country’s airports has taken steps to engage Zoomlion Ghana Limited to disinfect on a monthly basis, adding that the ongoing disinfection will be replicated in Kumasi and Tamale as well.