Ghana Embassy in US announces date for resumption after halting in March

Ghana’s Embassy in the United States of America (USA) has announced that it will resume operation on September 8, 2020.

The Embassy was shut down in March this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

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In a statement from the Embassy, it announced that all applications and other activities will be done through online platforms to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

“To enforce COVID-19 safety protocols, the Embassy will no longer offer in-person visa services. Individuals who are interested in acquiring visa services are required to do so through our online visa application platform,” the statement indicated.

Applicants of new passports, persons who want to replace lost passports or renew old passports are also being urged to go through the same process online and “schedule in-person appointments to complete the mandatory biometric data process”.

The Embassy has further pledged to observe all the necessary COVID-19 safety protocols on its premises for all in-person appointments.

Meanwhile, Ghana has opened its airport and travellers have already trooped into the country.

Already, the airport has received about 300 passengers, with all of them testing negative for the disease, according to the Ghana Health Service.

The test for those arriving comes at a cost of US$150. There has been some debate about the fee being charged with the Bureau of Public Safety (BPS) have petitioning the Ministry of Health to withdraw the said fee.

They claim that this amount being charged violates Part VII of the International Health Regulations (2005).

The Ghana Health Service in their weekly press conference announced that there has not been any protest over the fee being charged and all the travellers are duly paying.