By Bill W. Cooper
The government of Liberia has recorded an additional confirmed Coronavirus pandemic or COVID-19 case accumulating the total cases to 14, three deaths, three recoveries, eight active or alive, and 10 suspected cases in the country.Making the disclosure at the Ministry of Health (MoH) and the National Public Health Institute of Liberia (NPHIL) regular update in Congo Town, the Chief Medical Officer of Liberia, Dr. Francis Keteh said that as it stands, they now have 661 contacts among their confirmed cases, as said contacts have been managed by healthcare workers.
According to Dr. Kateh, of the 661 contacts, 78 are said to be health workers, as three are believed to be direct contacts, adding that 353 contacts have now completed their 14 days of quarantine, as they now have 308 contacts awaiting the completion of their 14 days of quarantine.
He noted that as long as the country has confirmed a new case, said case generates contacts, emphasizing that it is from said backdrop that their field officers will now go from place to place to make sure that they have all of the contacts in order to line-list them for follow up and those that are at higher risk, healthcare workers will then take all of the precautionary measures to avoid the spread of the virus.
Commenting on citizens’ adherence to the measure put in place by health authorities, Dr. Kateh urged the citizenry to work along with the government aimed at eradicating the virus from the country, and stressed, “If anyone poses danger to the country and its citizens, the government will use every means in line with the law for safety and wellbeing of the greater population.”
The country Chief Medical Officer alluded that the most critical thing about the virus is that, the sooner anyone is diagnosed, the better his/her chances of surviving, stating, “So, it is important for all of us to make sure we are tested, especially those who know they have somehow come in contact with an affected person or beginning to show signs and symptoms of the disease.”
He averred, “If we continue to hide ourselves, the possibilities of contacts will increase, as well as the possibilities of exposing others to the ravaging plague will undoubtedly escalate, thereby becoming very unsustainable.”
Meanwhile, Dr. Kateh has revealed that the government is now contemplating on decongesting the Prison Centers, lamenting, “We are afraid, because if you have one outbreak in the prison compound, it will be a time-bomb, so we are now looking in that direction and are having some discussions with the Justice Ministry, even if it causes us to do rapid testing.”
Also speaking, Health Minister, Dr. Wilhelmina Jallah clarified that the three deaths recorded by the government did not occur at the Isolation center, but instead at different locations.
Minister Jallah explained that one of the deceased died at home, while the other two died at a local hospital in the country, stating, “None of the three cases ever reached our healthcare workers at the 14 Military Hospital for treatment.”
Dr. Jallah further frowned on the decision by citizens who are said to be showing signs and symptoms of the virus, but are said to be refusing to turn themselves in for checkup and treatment, noting, “It is quite unfortunate that citizens will delay in turning themselves in for treatment when showing some signs and symptoms of the virus.”
She then urged the citizenry to abide by the measures put in place by the government, while at the same time encouraged all and sundry to make use of the Health Authority’s emergency number (4455), whenever anyone is suspected of showing any of the stipulated symptoms of the virus for more than two or three days.