Taylor, the Ministry of Health (MoH) has confirmed that the VP has been tested positive of the coronavirus disease.
In a late afternoon release yesterday, a copy which is in the possession of this paper, the Ministry of Health announced; “I am pleased to present my compliments and inform you that Madam Jewel Howard-Taylor, has been tested positive of COVID-19 on August 10, 2020.”
The released under the signature of Minister Wilhelmina Jallah stated that the Vice President was requested to travel out of the country for treatment and added that it was based on the advice of her doctor, that the incident Management System (IMS) has granted her permission to travel to seek treatment.
Many Liberians woke up to the breaking news of Vice President Howard-Taylor’s health status posted on the Liberia News Agency (LINA) Facebook page, in which it stated that, “Unconfirmed report reaching the Liberia News Agency (LINA) has hinted that Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor has tested for the COVID-19.”
But due to loud public outcries and condemnations that a report from a government entity as LINA would not have been unconfirmed neither should the health status of a senior public official be exposed in such manner, the news agency posted its apologized.
Using similar medium to disseminate its apology, LINA confessed to the general public that the report was ‘inaccurate’ and stated that it was at the result of an inadvertent crack in the editorial review mechanism of the Agency.
Prior to the various statements from both LINA and the Ministry of Health, the office of Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor announced on Tuesday, August 11, that Veep Howard-Taylor was flown out of the country to seek additional medical care at a specialist hospital in Accra, Ghana.
According to Vice President’s Office, Madam Howard-Taylor who was earlier admitted at the Aspen Medical Facility in Sinkor, Monrovia on Friday of August 7, due to respiratory complications, had favorably responded to treatment and the state of her health was stabilized to travel and seek advance medical attention at a facility with specialty in the diagnosis and treatment of respiratory ailments.