-As Police vow to be “robust” in enforcing the lockdown
By Our Staff Writer
Less than 24 hours after Liberian Justice Minister and head of the joint Security forces, Cllr. Frank Musah Dean was confirmed COVID-19 positive, Information Minister Eugene Nagbe has said lab test shows he is also positive.
Both he (Nagbe) and Justice Minister Dean are now being treated at the 14 Military Hospital on the outskirts of Monrovia.
Minister Nagbe told the private OK FM live phone in talk show Tuesday morning (April 28, 2020), that his first test showed positive. But health authorities requested that a second test be done which came positive.
The Information Minister called on Liberians not to see the Coronavirus as a death sentence or a stigma, but they should avail themselves for testing and if positive they should not hesitate to take early treatment.
Besides the two cabinet Ministers, few other top officials in the national security apparatus have also been confirmed positive of the killer virus. They include the deputy police Inspector General for Administration (103), Sadatu Reeves and Operations (102), Marvin Sackor.
COVID-19 Update from the National Public Health Institute (NPHI) released on April 27, 2020 put the number of confirmed cases in Liberia at 133, with 16 deaths.
A number of other senior officials have since been tested and their results have been negative. One of them is the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL), Major General Prince C. Johnson.
Gen. Johnson told the state radio, ELBC on Monday that he and others had earlier interacted with the late head of the Liberia Drugs Enforcement Agency (LDEA), Marcus Soko.
Specimen from Soko showed that he died from COVID-19, health authorities said.
Soko, a high blood pressure patient, was rushed to the 14 Military Hospital recently after showing signs and symptoms of Coronavirsu.
Police vow to robustly enforce lockdown
At the same time, Liberia National Police Inspector General, Patrick Sudue has said effective Tuesday, April 28, 2020, the joint security forces will be “robust” in enforcing the lockdown declared by President George Weah.
This applies to all of Liberia’s 15 counties.
He said absolutely no one will be allowed to appear in public without wearing facemask. Drivers of vehicles and operators of tricycle or motorbike taxis will also be required to wear facemask.
IG Sudue also said anyone without official pass will not be allowed on the streets and loitering various communities after 3pm under the ongoing COVID-19 State Security.
The Liberian Police chief singled out Montserrado and Margibi Counties as the two areas where citizens are the most violators of the COVID-19 lockdown and State of Emergency restrictions in Liberia.