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KIA enhances COVID-19 protocol following Daily Graphic’s report

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The management of the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) has intensified its enforcement of the COVID-19 safety protocols, particularly, on the wearing of face masks, at all public places within the airport.
With the enforcement, all visitors within the precincts of the airport at both the international and local terminals are required to be in their face masks while members of the enforcement task force are on patrol to ensure adherence.
This followed a story published by the Daily Graphic on Tuesday, May 11,  2021 indicating that many of those who frequented the ‘meet and greet section’ of the airport were not adhering to the safety protocols as prescribed by the health authorities as measures to curb the spread of the infection.
During a follow-up visit to the airport on Wednesday, May 12, the Daily Graphic observed that the number of people in face masks had increased in all the public areas, including the meet and greet sections and car parks of both the domestic and flight units of KIA.
Unlike previously when people went about their businesses without masks, most of the people who were seen were in their masks, and those who were spotted without theirs were either asked to put it on or turned away by some military officers, identified as part of the enforcement team, who were seen patrolling those public areas.
Despite the improvement in the enforcement of wearing of face masks, getting people to observe the social distance rule remained a challenge, as the seating arrangement, especially at the meet and greet section still gave no room for people to create the required one-metre space that must be left between seats.
Though the management of the KIA promised to get new markers to replace the faded ones on the seats, that was yet to be done, thus visitors sat on any available seat.
Apart from the announcement put out on the public address system on the need for people to adhere to the safety protocols, it was still observed that no notices had been put up to encourage the many people converging on the meet and greet section to encourage compliance with the safety protocols.
A number of people the Daily Graphic spoke with on the issue said though they had difficulty being in the face masks for a long time, they had no choice but to comply as it was mandatory.
“The weather is hot and it is very uncomfortable wearing a mask. I wear it occasionally, but when I got here I had no option but to wear it. Also, we are encouraged to use the hand sanitiser so I use the bottle I carry on myself,” a visitor, Mr. Abraham Mensah, said.
Another visitor, Mr. Adamu Kallalu, said it was difficult putting on the mask at this time of fasting yet he was trying to observe it since that was the safest option to protect oneself against the virus.
“I am only here waiting for my brother who is travelling from Cairo, Egypt,  to Ghana for the Eid-ul-Fitr, as soon as he gets here, I will leave for the house,” he said.
“I heard people are not adhering to the protocols at the airport but when we got here, I observed that most people are in face masks, and that is very commendable,” a passenger, Mrs. Catherine Obeng, said on arrival.
A source at the KIA told the Daily Graphic  that  officials of the Ghana Airport Company Limited (GACL) were embarrassed by the May 11 publication and that had prompted the enforcement of the adherence to the safety protocols.
“With the announcement consistently being made on the public address system within the airport, it was assumed that people would comply but apparently that was not the case and the Daily Graphic publication was a timely prompt as there is an enforcement team that is required to ensure adherence.
“ Now the team has stepped up its efforts and anyone who visits the airport either as a traveler or a visitor must be in the face mask or would be turned away. It is easier for the travelers because the flights they travel on have a responsibility to ensure adherence,” the source said.
According to the source, the challenge was with people who visited the airport to meet or see people off. “Now, anyone who is seen within the precincts without a face mask would be encouraged to put one on. However, if that person does not have one, he or she would unfortunately be turned away.
“I think the Daily Graphic observed rightly and it has helped in getting people to do the right thing,” the source said.

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