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Passengers arriving into the country for the "December in GH" events must ensure to make the mandatory COVID-19 test payment online before they come to Ghana.

Mr Eric Prempeh, Customer Service Manager, Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL) said passengers must also complete the online health declaration form 24 hours before arriving in Ghana and have the PCR test not more than 72 hours before departure.

Speaking at a stakeholder meeting for the "December in GH" events, the Customer Service Manager said the GACL was ever ready to meet the demands during the festive season.

He said some of the measures implemented internally by the Company this year and beyond include easing congestion at the terminal and also ensuring the smooth facilitation of passengers on arrival.

"So for now we have even improved the time that it takes for one to receive their COVID-19 results. We have also implemented key customer service measures to ensure that passengers are well informed on the ground so that they can enjoy the best of services during the season," he said.

Mr Prempeh assured passengers arriving at the airport of a smooth process during the arrival, adding that all they had to do was to adhere to all the health guidelines or protocols for arriving and departing passengers on the website.

He noted, however, that with departure, no state protocol restricted departing passengers, but they must get the needed information from their airlines because the protocols kept changing globally.

DO1 Micheal Ato Korsa, Assistant Director of Safety, Ghana National Fire Service, said this year the issuance of fire certificates had increased, meaning people had become more conscious of protecting their facilities.

He said the Service had deployed their Regional Safety Inspectors, to inspect public facilities, including hotels, guest houses and public places of events to ensure that the fire protocols were apt, fire extinguisher and exit alarm systems were all functioning very well to avert any eventualities.

"This meeting would serve as a guide to concentrate on the events places and where we have to parade our fire engine, we do. Where there is an already existing fire post, the local organisers will have to liaise with them to help, and where there is no post, they must liaise with the nearest fire station to help deploy one of two firemen to assist in the preparatory and main event," he said.

Mr Ekow Sampson, Deputy Chief Executive Officer in Charge of Operations, Ghana Tourism Authority, said the meeting was to engage stakeholders to find out their preparedness towards the events scheduled for the rest of the year.

He said the safety of patrons for the various events was paramount hence the engagements with the organisers to ensure that they follow all the protocols put out by the GTA and the National COVID-19 task force.

"Participants to events would have to provide their vaccination cards before entry, temperatures would be checked, guests aged five and above will be required to wear nose mask, there would be social distancing, hand sanitation stations would be provided, contactless ticketing will be done, as well as staff health screening."

Ms Annabelle McKenzie, Manager, Beyond the Return Secretariat, said 60 different events had been endorsed and the secretariat was closely working with event organisers to ensure safety at all the venues.

"December in GH" Events is a new tourism product by the Authority to attract tourists to Ghana, which is increasingly becoming the destination for Christmas and New Year celebrations.

The events are also to complement the See-Ghana, Eat-Ghana, Wear-Ghana and Feel-Ghana campaign, to showcase Ghana's attractions such as cuisine, costume and nightlife and forms part of the "Beyond the Return" initiative.