By Bill W. Cooper
The Government of Liberia through the Montserrado County Health Team (MCHT) and the International Rescue Committee (IRC) are continuing their five-day community voluntary testing for residents in District #6 as a means of curtailing the spread of the Coronavirus pandemic in the country.
The event, funded by the German government (giz), which kicked off at the King Gray Town Hall on the Robertsfield Highway on July 3, over the weekend, brought the community leaders face-to-face with the different partners including government representatives.
Serving as the official launcher, the Deputy Minister for Research and Development Planning at the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Olayee Collins said the MIA is committed to ensuring that the government and its partners achieve the target within the 5-day duration.
He noted that community engagement during this time of the coronavirus pandemic in the country is very cardinal and that the Ministry will work from community to community to help eradicate the virus from the districts and the country.
Earlier, the IRC Country Director, Faith Akovi Cooper, said her organization is a humanitarian organization with a crisis response mandate therefore; they are very committed to Liberia by working alongside every community aimed at eliminating covid-19.
The IRC has realized that not one entity or community can defeat the virus therefore urged citizens to team up with commitment to ensure the safety and security of each other and as families and communities because if one is affected, an entire family will be at risk.
The MCHT County Health Officer, Dr. Yatta Wapoe, lauded the IRC, giz and other donors for the initiative, emphasizing that most of the country’s covid-19 cases are asymptomatic and as such, the voluntary testing is very timely for the district.
In separate remarks, the WHO, AFENET, Last Mile Health, UNICEF, USCDC, NRC, as well as the MoH representatives and the District # 6 chairperson lauded the IRC, giz and the Liberian government for the initiative and promised their various institution’s fullest support towards the project.