Quick coronavirus test to safeguard airport reopening

Minister of Information Kojo Oppong Nkrumah has stated that government is set to roll out a new Coronavirus testing system.

According to him, the new testing system would give results within 15 minutes.

Speaking on TV3’s COVID-19 360 on Wednesday, August 19, the Minister announced that “we are rolling out a system that can do tests within 15 minutes at the airport so that we can open by September 1st”.

Throwing more light on the issue, the Information Minister said: “The Ghana Health Service is doing a simulation of various testing options to convince the president that we have the ability to test every one of the 3,500 people we expect to be coming into the country in a day.”

In his 15th address to the nation on Sunday, August 16, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo stated that there plans and deliberations going on to reopen the airports as soon as possible.

“I know many still ask when our borders, especially our international airport, Kotoka International Airport, will be open.

“Under my instructions, the Ministry of Aviation, the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority and the Ghana Airports Co. Ltd., have been working, with the Ministry of Health and its agencies, to ascertain our readiness to reopen our airport.

“I want to ensure that we are in a position to test every single passenger that arrives in the country to avoid the spread of the virus.

“The outcome of that exercise will show us the way, and determine when we can reopen our border by air. I am hoping that, by God’s grace, we will be ready to do so by 1st September.”