News

Ghana-Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccination and Potential Fine to Unvaccinated Crew

12 January 2022 No.1145

We have received the following information from some of our local correspondents in Ghana.

 

From 15 January 2022, the Ghana Port Health Service announced that USD3,500.00 fine applies to all passengers arriving in Ghana and any unvaccinated foreign passenger will have to be vaccinated upon arrival, the vaccine being provided free of charge by the authorities. While the authorities plan to apply this to crew members of any vessels calling Ghanaian ports as well but no formal announcement is released to date.

 

According to our correspondents, it seems that discussions about the enforcement date and whether the fine is imposed per person or per vessel are underway within relevant authorities and there is information that the above regulation is not anticipated to be enforced by the end of February 2022.

 

Upon enforcement of the above regulation, any vessel, via her agent, must declare and provide a list of the vaccinated (with appropriate certificate to be disclosed) and unvaccinated crewmembers. The unvaccinated crew members will have to be vaccinated free of charge by the authorities at anchorage prior to vessel berthing.

 

As described above, the situation of the regulation is unclear and unsettled. We recommend that members check the latest information at the time of vessel’s calling through local agents in Ghana.