By Alex Yomah
The World Health Organization (WHO) in collaboration with the Press Union of Liberia (PUL) yesterday commenced a two-day training of media practitioners on the faces and rumors that are associated with Covid-19 reporting.
The workshop that is anticipated to climax today, Wednesday, is also expected to impact over 48 media practitioners which among other things, were fetched from Montserrado County and its environs, brought together scores of facilitators including Chester Smith, Hassa Kaiwu, Dr. Monday Julius and others.
Speaking during the opening ceremony of the training, PUL Vice President, Daniel Nyenkonah, disclosed that the workshop came into fruition following discussions between WHO and the media on empowering the media on effective reporting on pandemic.
The PUL official indicated that it seems that Liberians are losing sight of the Covid-19 and political activities have engulfed the airwave, a situation prompting the resurgence of the novel coronavirus disease which among other things is said to have decimated hundreds of citizens globally with Liberia of no exception.
He said the objective of the training is intended to empower the selected media practitioners with requisite knowledge and skills to adequately report Covid-19 news, mitigate myth and rumors in the virus reporting in Liberia.
Providing Coronavirus update in Liberia, currently, Liberia 112 active cases and five confirmed cases since November 15, 2020; this means, since Nov. 15, the pandemic subsided with only five new cases.
Recounting Covid-19 history since its index case in Liberia, 1,512 persons had contracted the virus and out of that number, 82 persons succumbed to death and the remaining folks recovered.
Chester Smith said despite the low report, Montserrado still remains hotspot of the Covid-19, citing Ashmun Street as another alarming zone in Montserrado County. He also mentioned that Grand Cape Mount and Margibi Counties have no cases as of now.
The facilitators told the media that Liberia is experiencing fresh cases unknown because Liberia has what was called ill-symptomatic which means, some citizens can contract the virus without showing any sign of the virus.