Ghana will resume international passenger flights on 1 September, President Nana Akufo-Addo announced on Sunday, citing a drop in active coronavirus cases.

Air, land and sea borders were closed in March to prevent the spread of the virus

President Akufo-Addo said all travellers arriving in Ghana must present proof of a negative Covid-19 PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test result done within 72 hours before departure.

They will also be tested on arrival at the airport with the result expected within 30 minutes. The passengers are to pay for the test.

Those who test positive will undergo further assessment and treatment. But children under five will not be tested.

All passengers are also expected to observe the safety protocols including mandatory wearing of masks.

Airlines that fail to comply with the government directive will be sanctioned.

Ghana has experienced a continued decrease in the number of Covid-19 active cases which are now just more than 1,000 out of over 44,205 confirmed cases.

The main Kotoka International Airport in the capital, Accra, previously handled about 24,500 international arrivals every week before the coronavirus pandemic.

Domestic flights resumed three months ago.

But the country’s land and sea borders remain shut.