Kuwait deportees placed under quarantine

All the 241 Ghanaians deported from Kuwait last Saturday by the Kuwaiti Government for residing in the country illegally have been placed under a mandatory 14-day quarantine.

Reports are that before the repatriated persons left Kuwait, they were taken through a COVID-19 infection test, the results of which were negative.

The Director for Media and Communication for Operation COVID-19 Safety, Mr Osei Bonsu Dickson, told the Daily Graphic that they would undergo a second test to confirm their actual status.

 Repatriation

The deportees arrived on board a special chartered Kuwait Airways flight which had 284 passengers made up of 241 Ghanaians and 43 Togolese nationals who would make an onward journey to their country. 

They were received at the Kotoko International Airport by the Operation Return Home joint task force which comprises the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), Ghana Health Service (GHS), Ghana Police Service (GPS) the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and other stakeholders.

Though the borders of Ghana remain closed as part of measures to curb the importation and spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), this chartered flight was allowed into the country with permission from the government.

Last Friday, the Minister of Information, Mr Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, indicated that the decision to accept the deportees into the Ghanaian jurisdiction despite the closure of the country's borders, was reached at a Cabinet meeting on Thursday, May 21.

Reception

When they arrived, the deportees were taken through stringent arrival procedures to prevent any possible spread of the virus at the airport.

They were ushered into waiting buses which conveyed them to their various quarantine centres.

The Minister of Aviation, Mr Joseph Kofi Adda, welcomed them on behalf of the government and informed them that they would be placed on a mandatory 14-day quarantine.

Mr Adda explained that each of them would undergo two tests during the period, and those who tested negative would be discharged while those who tested positive would be taken to isolation centres to be treated.

More to return

Speaking to the media, the Deputy Minister at the Ministry of National Security, Mr Henry Quartey, said the exercise was the first and that there were other stranded Ghanaian nationals abroad who were also going to be repatriated.

“Although the country has closed its borders to contain the spread of the virus, it is imperative that we protect our compatriots who are living in other countries. Most of them want to return and the government is putting measures in place to ensure they are brought back into the country safely,” he explained.