The African Centre for Health Policy Research and Analysis has requested that the government launch an inquiry into the recent increase in COVID-19 cases at Kotoka International Airport (KIA).
In a letter to the Managing Director of the Ghana Airports Company Limited, Frontier Healthcare Services, the managers of Ghana’s COVID-19 testing program at the KIA, drew attention to the high number of people who tested positive at the airport despite having negative results from the countries they traveled from.
Read Also: China exporting cocoa not a cause for alarm – Former Ghana Ambassador to China
Dr. Thomas Anaba, Executive Director of the African Centre for Health Policy Research and Analysis, has called for an inquiry into the incident in order to verify the accuracy of the findings.
“We require a third-party testing laboratory to take the samples and rerun them and make sure they are really positive tests.” If they re-run them and they come back positive, it indicates that the people got their lab results showing they are COVID negative in their home country so they believe it is imperative to come to Ghana. I’m calling for an investigation into the situation.
Frontier Healthcare Services recently notified the country’s health authorities of an increase in COVID-19 cases at the airport.
On Saturday, April 24, 2021, the firm said it had the largest single number of positive COVID-19 cases at the airport.
Prior to that, on Wednesday, April 21, 2021, the highest number was registered.
According to the firm, the recent rate of positive cases reported at the airport is “unprecedented.”
The Minority also urged health authorities to consider imposing bans on visitors from countries with high infection rates as soon as possible.
“The government should also think about doing a thorough analysis of the evidence and, if possible, imposing travel bans from regions where travelers are showing false or bad test results.”
“The government should also recommend imposing travel restrictions on countries with high COVID-19 infection rates in order to reduce the risk of bringing COVID-19 infections into the country. Some countries have already taken these measures, and Ghana should consider following suit, according to the statement.
The Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyeman Manu, has assured that improved interventions will be deployed at Ghana’s airport to combat the rise in COVID-19 cases.
SOURCE: ATLFMONLINE
