Ghana lifts COVID-19 restrictions including mandatory mask-wearing

President of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo, has lifted most of the country’s COVID-19 restrictions and announced the re-opening of land and sea borders.

In a nationwide COVID-19 address on Monday, the president said the decision was made after reviewing the raft of measures put in place to help win the fight against the virus, against the background of rapidly declining infections and relative success of vaccination campaigns carried out by the Ghana Health Service.

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He said, “From Monday, the wearing of face masks is no longer mandatory. I encourage all of you to continue to maintain enhanced hand hygiene practices and avoid overcrowded gatherings.

“All in-person activities, including religious gatherings, conferences, workshops, and funerals, may resume at full capacity, as long as the audience and participants are fully vaccinated. But handwashing and hand sanitizing points should be made available.

“Fully vaccinated travellers will be allowed entry through the land and sea borders without a negative polymerase chain reaction test result from the country of origin.

“It has been a difficult two years, and we can see light at the end of a very long tunnel. I appeal to all of us to live responsibly, protect ourselves, and do everything we can to stay safe as we lift these restrictions.”