Ghana is likely to reopen her land borders in the coming weeks, depending on the effectiveness of a new testing regime.
The land borders have been closed for longer than a year because of the outbreak of the deadly COVID-19 disease.
Speaking to Nana Yaa Mensah on The Asaase Breakfast Show on Tuesday (3 August), Dr Bernard Okoe Boye, a former deputy minister of health, said: “So, as we speak, officially our land borders are closed, but cargo is allowed, and you know cargo comes with the driver and one or two loaders.
“So, what is happening now is that the COVID test board, chaired by the president, has approved the use of other antigen technology at some of these borders so that at least the drivers of these cargoes can be subjected to tests.”
He added: “Now, based on the experiment [and] how the testing goes, we might consider opening the borders with that technology or with that testing in place.”
Step up surveillance of land borders
Frank Ankobea, the president of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA), has also expressed anxiety in connection with the detection of the deadly Delta variant of the novel coronavirus in the Greater Accra and Ashanti Regions.
The Ghana Health Service on Sunday 4 July (GHS) announced that it has recorded 34 active cases of the Delta variant of the coronavirus disease in Ghanaian communities, including certain students of Achimota School who have tested positive.
Health experts say the Delta variant, which originated in India, has a higher transmission rate and spreads faster than other COVID-19 strains.
Speaking in an interview with Beatrice Adu on The Big Bulletin, Dr Ankobea called on the government to strengthen surveillance of the country’s land borders.
“You see, what you should know is that, yes, people will be vigilant, [but] try and prevent it from getting into the system. But one way or the other, some may slip through.
“We don’t even know where these ones came from. It could be through our land borders, and not necessarily the airports.
“It’s a cause for us to strengthen our land borders and all those things with surveillance,” Dr Ankobea said.
Fred Dzakpata
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