In the wake of fears of a possible spread of the Omicron variant, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has advised against the reopening of Ghana’s land borders.
Addressing the nation on Wednesday, December 15, 2021, the President said the decision forms part of the government’s efforts at preventing the fourth wave of Covid-19 in Ghana.
“We are monitoring the level of threat of the disease and ongoing vaccinations in our neighbouring countries, and, as soon as we are satisfied that it is safe to do so, the borders will be opened. Until then, I believe this is not the right time to reopen our land borders, especially as we are determined to prevent the 4th wave, and, as such, they will remain closed until further notice,” the President stated.
While acknowledging the challenges caused by the closure of the country’s land borders, the President said the move is in the best interest of the country.
“To my fellow Ghanaians living along the borders of our nation, I know of the difficulties occasioned by the closure of our borders.”
“As you know, the decision to close our borders, which are a source of livelihoods for many, was necessary because we wanted to limit the importation of the virus into the country.”
President Akufo-Addo in March 2020 ordered the closure of the country’s borders as part of efforts to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
The land borders have only been allowing the passage of cargo.
Residents of Elubo in the Western Region and Ketu South in the Volta Region have protested to demand the immediate reopening of the Elubo and the Aflao borders, respectively.
The residents said the continuous closure of the land borders is negatively affecting their livelihoods.