The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration has asked Ghana’s missions abroad not to grant visas to travellers who refuse to present negative COVID-19 test results verified through the Global Haven partnership system.

This new tool seeks to ensure the PCR test results presented by travellers are more accurate, in the wake of reports that more positive cases are being detected at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) even though travellers present negative test results.

A circular from the Chief of Protocol at the Ministry, Mr. Emmanuel Antwi, ordered all missions to refuse visas to persons who do not go through the new verification system.

“In the view of the COVID-19 rising cases at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA), despite proof of a 72-hour negative PCR test by passengers arriving in Ghana, the Ministry wishes to request all missions to notify host authorities and potential travellers as follows. All travellers are to use the tool made available through the UNDP Supported Global Haven Partnership for COVID-19 certificate verification.”

Meanwhile, the Ghana Health Service (GHS) advised Ghanaians to either cancel or postpone all non-essential travels to countries with high COVID-19 infection rates.

A statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration said Ghanaians who need to travel to any COVID-19 hotspot must observe all COVID-19 protocols.

“In view of the alarming rate of infections of COVID-19 in some parts of the world, especially in Asia and South America, the Ghana Health Service wishes to advise the general public to either cancel or postpone all non-essential travels to countries with exceedingly high COVID-19 infection rates,” the statement said.