Coronavirus: Government waives US$150 test for children under 12 years at KIA

Children between the ages of 5-12years will now undergo mandatory COVID-19 screening upon arrival at the Kotoka International Airport free of charge, effective Monday, November 16.

The new measure is designed to bring some relief to parents who will be travelling back home for Christmas with their children.

Mr. Yaw Kwakwa, Managing Director of Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL) told AviationGhana that the : “The new measure has been negotiated with the service provider [Frontier Health Care] to help reduce the financial burden on families, especially during the upcoming festive season where many Ghanaians come home.”

Prior to the announcement contained in the updated COVID-19 guidelines for Kotoka International Airport published by the Ghana Airports Company Limited on Friday, only children under five years were exempted from taking the mandatory test and paying for same upon arrival at the Kotoka International Airport.

All others, including children within the 5-12years age bracket, were mandated to pay the US$150 online prior to arrival and subject themselves to the antigen test conducted at the Upper Arrival Hall of Terminal 3, KIA.

Imported cases of COVID-19, detected by screening all arriving passengers, has gone up by 87 percent, increasing from 92 to 172 between mid-October and November 6.

As at November 6, a total of 54,000 arriving international passengers had been screened with 172 positive cases recorded.

Ghana on September 1, re-opened the Kotoka International Airport for scheduled passenger operations, after six months of closure, with a stringent testing regime in place.

Upon arrival, passengers who are required to pay US$150 for the COVID-19 test online prior to arrival in Ghana, have their receipts verified before proceeding to the sampling cubicles located at Upper Arrival of Terminal 3, KIA for their samples to be taken.

Results are transmitted electronically to Port Health in the main arrival hall.

At the arrival hall, passengers are screened at one of the Port Health stations and results of their COVID-19 tests made known to them.

Arriving passengers who test negative then proceed to immigration and then to baggage claim for their luggage and then exit the terminal.

Positive cases receive further clinical assessment and treatment.