The government of Liberia is said to be making significant improvement in the fight against the Coronavirus pandemic or COVID-19, as 29 more individuals who were tested positive of the virus will anytime be released from the country’s Isolation or Treatment center.
Just recently, April 17, 2020, Health Authorities certificated the country’s first three survivors with index cases having to be the suspended EPA boss, Dr. Nathaniel Blama declaring them free of the virus as the other 4 are expected to complete their 21 days of observation before being certificated.
As of April 19, 2020, the government recorded additional 8 cases accumulating the total to 99 confirmed cases, with 84 having to be active or alive; seven recoveries and eight deaths, while 489 contacts are said to be under follow-up by Health-Care workers.
Making the disclosure at the Ministry of Health (MoH) and National Public Health Institute of Liberia (NPHIL) regular update in Congo Town, COVID-19 Incident Coordinator, Dr. Wilhelmina Jallah said they have 7 persons in the intermediary place to leave, while the 29 individuals are now feeling better and are in the step-down place to leave.
According to Dr. Jallah, those to be released soon are favorably responding to treatment, as she is optimistic that the recoveries will soon be more than the death rate, indicating that getting the COVID-19 is not something to be ashamed of.
She noted that it is because of their policy to test dead bodies that has made the country’s death rate more than the recovery rate, adding that with the eight deaths that have occurred, only one happened in their treatment center, while the others occurred in their various communities.
The country’s Health Minister then urged citizens to cooperate with health authorities by strictly adhering to the various health measures. “Go for early treatment if you are not feeling too well. You are also urged to wear masks in public because these are the protective gears that will help kick COVID-19 out of Liberia,” Dr. Jallah intimated.
Giving the statistics of the virus in a Power-Point presentation, COVID-19 Deputy Incident Coordinator, Dr. Francis Kateh said that samples tested as of March 10 to April 18,2020 are 699, with Indeterminate of 60, while the Negative samples are said to be 517, Positive samples are 103, with 18 samples to be repeated, one pending and 91 New cases.
He added that total contacts listed are 1368, Number of health workers as contacts are 221, Positive Contact cases are 38, Contacts completed 14 days are 846, Contacts under follow up are 489, and contacts under observation (high risk contacts) are 121.
Dr. Kateh then informed the citizenry that they will do more public awareness and testing. He also encouraged them to constantly practice the social distancing, as well as making the wearing of masks mandatory when one leaves his or her home.
Dr. Kateh finally informed the citizenry that the Incident Management System is the “ONLY Authority” to release information to the general public on COVID-19