Kotoka Airport: Free mandatory coronavirus test for 5-12 years begins today

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

However, children below five (5) years are exempted from the test. All others outside this age bracket must pay US$150 for the antigen test carried out at the Upper Arrival Hall of the Terminal 3 at KIA by Frontier Health Care.

The updated COVID-19 guidelines for Kotoka International Airport published by the Ghana Airports Company Limited on Friday noted that: “Children between the ages of 5-12years will undergo testing on arrival free of charge.”

The decision to include children in the age bracket indicated follows rising positive cases recorded amongst inbound passengers at KIA and within the general population.

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.

A total of 54,000 arriving international passengers had been screened with 172 positive cases recorded as of November 6.

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 will be screened at one of the Port Health stations and the results of their COVID-19 tests made known to them.

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

Positive cases will receive further clinical assessment and treatment.