PHOTO: Govt and opposition leaders leading abandoning of COVID 19 protocols
By Frank Sainworla, Jr. fsainworla@yahoo.com
A second COVID-19 wave has hit Liberia, amid an almost total lack of concern about the existence of this pandemic, as all the Coronavirus safety measures have virtually being thrown through the window, as the number of new infections rise.
From a low of 27 confirmed cases by October 16, 2020, the total number of new confirmed cases has now gone up to 138, as of November 19, 2020, according to the National Public Health Institute (NPHIL) COVID-19 update.
“#LiBCOVID19 Case Update: 12 new confirmed cases, No new death, and No new recovery reported as of 10:00 PM, November 19, 2020. #SaveLives #StopTheSpread”.
In fact, Liberian government officials and other politicians have taken the lead in violating the Coroanavirus safety measures, as they have continuously been seen leading large crowds (most of whom are unprotected) at political rallies, in the run up to the December 8 elections across the country.
On visits to several banks and other institution, one can observe that it is no longer mandatory that people wash their hands and wear masks, as both the service providers and the customers have little or no regard for social/physical distancing.
For the past few months, the number of deaths has remained at 82, but Liberian health authorities are warning that if the COVID-19 preventive measures such as regular washing of hands with soap and water, wearing of nosemasks and adherence to social/physical distancing, the worse could happen over the next few weeks and months.
And Montserrado County, where the capital, Monrovia is situated is the epicenter of this second wave of this deadly virus as was the case during the first wave.
Although there is still a national regulation in place for compulsory adherence to these protocols, the vast majority of people in Monrovia and other parts have been failing to adhere to this for weeks and months now.
The police who should be enforcing the national mandate, “no mask no service, no mask no ride” are themselves flouting the measures.
According to health officials, there is a Memorandum of Understanding with political parties that there must be strict adherence by all political parties to the Coronavirus measures. It is said that the parties and candidates must procure nosemasks and COVID-19 WASH facilities to be used at all their political rallies/activities.
Since the outbreak of the pandemic, Liberia has recorded a total of 1, 551 cases, with the majority of the victims being male. NPHIL says 1,007 of the infections are males, while 544 are females.
With international flights to Monrovia gradually resuming from the US, Europe and other countries which are massively being affected by the pandemic,, many are worried that the second wave could see a spike never seen during the first wave.