Former President John Mahama has described as "an inconvenience, a financial burden" the fact that Ghanaians who are fully vaccinated; "with some taking the boosters" still have "to pay as much as £90 to a foreign clinic for a PCR test before they are allowed to board flights" back home.
"I think it is time for Government to review the procedures and protocols," he said.
My journey to London
According to him, "I travelled last month to London on British Airways. I was pleasantly surprised when I was informed that I did not require a COVID-19 PCR test to board the flight. While I was still required to fill a locator form, no further tests were required of me for the 12 days I stayed in the UK.
Imagine my shock when British Airways informed me that I would be required to take a PCR test before I am allowed to board my return flight home. They explained that this is because of regulations in Ghana. It cost £90 to have the test done. I was also informed that I would not be checked in for the flight back unless I filled an online form and paid a fee of $50...It is an inconvenience, a financial burden and actually unfair to compel our citizens, who we encouraged to take COVID-19 vaccinations, with some taking the boosters, to pay as much as £90 to a foreign clinic for a PCR test before they are allowed to board flights coming back home".
The former President who was sharing his experience in a facebook post added: "And even more ridiculous, they must book another $50 PCR test to be conducted on arrival in Accra. The UK government considers the Ghanaian COVID-19 vaccination card internationally accepted and allows entry once you have the card without any testing.
It is a most unfortunate situation that Ghanaians who have valid vaccination certificates cannot board flights back home without a £90 PCR test, and an additional US$50 PCR test booking in Accra".
Stop the US$50 compulsory PCR test
He has therefore asked government to "stop the US$50 compulsory PCR test for travellers who have been vaccinated. And must also stop the demand for originating PCR tests before the same category of travellers are allowed to board flights to Ghana.
The reason for UK rolling back its COVID-19 restrictions is that deaths are down and severe cases requiring intensive care are down, and besides they believe it's time to learn to live with Covid. I think it is time for us in Ghana to do same".
Open Land borders now
Meanwhile, he has asked the ruling government to open the land borders; insisting it is long overdue.
"The long border closures have devastated the economy of our border communities. Government's announcement that it is deliberating at Cabinet about a possible opening of our land borders is long overdue. Let's open the land borders now!" he added.
Source: Peacefmonline.com
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Populism, and propaganda balanced with shallow knowledge and mindedness! UK government has canceled it's covid protocols just last week because majority of it's citizens and almost all of it's vulnerable age and people with conditions have vaccinated fully...why didn't the UK government relaxed it's protocols when they were in their peak or when less than 10% of the population vaccinated,? Cheap political propaganda. Check with our neighboring countries and tell me which one has opened it's boarder... Nigeria? Togo? Ivory Coast? Again, on arrival in Nigeria you will do 2 covid tests on day 2 and day 7 at the cost of USD 250 which must be paid in advance before departure. Cheap political propagandist aka papano.l! It tells you how poorly he would have managed the pandemic if he was the president...we have not forgotten how you managed ebola..indeed Ghanaians easily forget as you said, it is not your fault
WHICH PART OF THE PLANT THIS ***barred word*** JOHN THIEVE MAHAMA LEAVES AND HE DOESN'T MAKE ANYTIME HE OPEN UP HIS MOUTH VERY SICK. MAHAMA WILL COMMENT ON LAWYERS DOMAIN YET HE IS NOT A LAWYER ONLY GRADUATED IN COMMUNICATION FROM RUSSIA, MAHAMA WAS LUCKY HE BECAME GHANA PRESIDENT BUT NEVER NEVER AGAIN. THIS COVID19 B-2 OMICRON VIRUS IS RAGING HIGH IN HONG KONG THAT HAVE KILL MANY IN THAT COUNTRY, IN 2 CITIES IN CHINA ARE GOING UNDER LOCKDOWN, SOUTH KOREA HAVE MANY INFECTED IN THOUSANDS JUST GOOGLE INTO THIS COUNTRIES AND THE NUMBERS ARE THERE TO SHOW YOU. SO I DON'T UNDERSTAND ***barred word*** MAHAMA ***barred word***. AM GLAD HE WASN'T THE LEADER DURING THE PANDEMIC ELSE GHANAIANS WILL DIED IN MILLIONS THE WAY HE SPEAKS..
The government of Ghana and the GHS is very slow in evaluating the pandemic situation in Ghana. As many countries have advanced and evaluated thier pandemic situation leading to most relaxing situation of the pandemic, such as permanent removal of mask wearing and non payment of covid test at various centres, Ghana is still hanging on to the traditional style of methodology, mask wearing, various testeing for travelling in and out of Ghana, etc etc. Ghana is part of the global world and time is long overdue to evaluate the pandemic situation and the relaxation of the covid regulations. Many Ghanaians living and working outside the country have been three to four timesvacinated and boosted. So why the need for extra PCR Test when coming home and extra PCR Test when arrival at the Kotoka Airport. Its nothing but purely exploitation of the GHS and its agent partners for exploiting home coming ghanaians. Please, remove those financial barries attached to the various regulations of the COVID PCR test. thank You
Let’s be careful. See what is happening in China now. A whole Provience on lock down!
I have never supported Mahama on his propaganda but I fully support him on this. Doing PCR test 48 or 72 hours prior to arriving in Ghana and going through another test at the cost of $50 for Ghanaians/ECOWAS nationals and $150 for another nationals is just not fair at the current status of Covid-19 which is almost in remission. I understand Kenya has relaxed their Rules and it's about time Ghana follow suit. Mr President, please review this at your next Fellow Ghanaians Address.
Do you how many people vaccinated in the UK compared to Ghana, Mr Mahama? UK has achieved or closer to achieving herd immunity but has vaccinated less than 20% of its population.. These decisions are based on science and Ghanaian data available. Ghanaian health experts advice government and does not take decisions based on circumstances in the UK. Why don't you allow our experts to handle this but talk like expert? Nana Addo, please do what is good for the country based on the advice of your health professionals.
Stop the non***barred word*** mahama, has any of them come to complain to you about those test, be in your corner and be quiet because we don't need you any where near political power because you are too dangerous for mother ghana