COVID-19: Ghana extends border closure till May 31
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has extended the closure of Ghana’s borders for a month.
Addressing workers in a virtual May Day celebration on Friday (May 1, 2020) at the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) in Accra, President Akufo-Addo said the extension was effective 1 am on May 4, 2020, and would elapse on Sunday, May 31, 2020.
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The border closure, however, does not apply to goods, supplies, and cargo.
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Address
The President in his address explained that the decision is to prevent travellers from importing the virus into Ghana.
He said: “With the suspension of all public gatherings still in force and our schools still closed, government has taken the decision to extend further the closure of borders for a month effective 1 am of 4th May until Sunday, the 31st of May, 2020. We know that the overwhelming majority of positive cases came from travellers or contacts of travellers so we have no option than to keep our borders closed until we are confident that we have put in place measures to prevent travellers from importing the virus.”
The President, however, stressed that the restrictions would not be a permanent feature of the lives of Ghanaians.
“These restrictions cannot and will not be a permanent feature of our lives but they are for now essential for our survival,” he said.
Background
Ghana’s air, sea and land borders were first closed on Sunday, March 22, 2020, following an order by President Akufo-Addo as part of efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the country.
Addressing the nation in a televised broadcast, the President said the country’s borders will remain closed for two more weeks beginning Monday, April 20.
The President in that address explained that it was because the majority of confirmed COVID-19 cases have come from travellers or from people who have come into contact with travellers.
"It is, therefore, incumbent on us to continue to be vigilant about travellers into our country until further notice, and to congratulate the men and women of the Immigration Service and the Marine Police Unit for their work in securing our borders, he said".
"The arrest of ten West African nationals in Tamale who all tested positive for the virus; the arrest of the six Nigerian travellers who entered Ghana through unapproved routes along the Ghana-Togo border near Aflao, who also tested positive for the virus; and the recent arrest of ten fishermen in the Western Region, who returned from Cote d'Ivoire and have been quarantined, testify to the determination of our security services to protect our borders. I have, thus, signed an Executive Instrument, to extend the closure of our borders for two more weeks, beginning Monday, 20th April".
Ghana has 2,074 confirmed cases of COVID-19 as of April 30, 2020, with 17 deaths and 212 recoveries.