President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo has disclosed that a total of twenty-six passengers have tested positive for the novel coronavirus at the testing center at the Kotoka International Airport, since it was reopened for the international flight. He mentioned that these cases if not for the prudent and preventive measures government took, could have resulted into a spike in the country’s spread of the virus.
He disclosed in his 17th address on the COVID-19 pandemic that, a total of ten thousand, and sixty-one persons have so far been tested for the virus, and out of which twenty-six turned out to be infected.
“As at yesterday, a total of 10,061 passengers have been tested in Kotoka. In spite of the requirements that all passengers must be in possession of a negative PCR test result upon their arrival in Ghana, a test which should have been conducted not more than 72 hours before the departure from the country of origin, a total of twenty-six (26) positive cases have been recorded from the test in Kotoka.”
President Nana Addo continued that the country could have been overwhelmed by the cases if it had only relied on the PCR test results passengers presented at the airport.
“Let us pulse for a moment and imagine what would happened if these twenty-six cases have not been detected and been allowed to mingle with the population,” he noted.
On this background, he mentioned that the fee charged on passengers for the PCR test provides real value and assurance for both passengers and stakeholders, that he explained could not be a case for any criticism of exploitation.
He added that the country’s case counts continues to fall, and thus urged the citizenry to be responsible in adhering to the COVID-19preventive at all cost as directed.