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Prior to the reopening of the Kotoka International Airport on Tuesday, September 1, 2020, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has visited the airport to inspect the preparedness of the facility for full operations.

President Akufo-Addo on August 16, 2020, announced in his address to the nation on the Covid-19 pandemic that the country is set to open up its air borders due to ongoing measures being put in place to control the spread of the new coronavirus at the airport.

As part of the safety measures at the Kotoka International Airport, the management of the Ghana Airport Company Limited and the government have conducted simulation exercises and drills to ascertain the full implementation of the safety protocols.

The exercise according to the Aviation Minister Hon Joseph Addah is also to see that the International Airport is ready to prevent importation of the virus into the country through arriving flight ahead of the September 1, 2020 airport reopening.

On his visit to see for himself the readiness of the reopening, President Nana Akufo-Addo described the reopening as “a big step that needs a rigorous procedure to execute”.

“We have to make sure the procedures are tight and that they work so that people are not too inconvenienced,” he said.

He was in the company of the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, and Aviation Minister, Joseph Kofi Addah.

Dr. Patrick Kuma-Aboagye however explained to President Akufo-Addo the procedures passengers arriving in the country have to go through before they can touch the soil of the country.

The Director-General of the Ghana Health Service again hinted that those who will test positive to the Covid-19 will be given different nose masks in order not to infect others at the Airport; adding that the test will be done and the result given within 30 minutes.

He added that cubicles have been provided for the testing of passengers at the Kotoka International Airport and as well as those who will be tested positive.

The management of the Ghana Airport Company Limited also assured the President that plans have been made to ensure that passengers arriving in the country have their nose masks on in the flight and the nose masks will be changed for the passengers when they touch down.