By Emmanuel Mafelah, mafelahemmanuel29@gmail.com
GBARNGA, Liberia- Bong County has recorded a third COVID-19 death, barely 48 hours following the demise of another person in the county, 169 kilometers east of Monrovia..
This comes as the Coronavirus infection rate is rising in Liberi, As at June 9, 2020, Liberia has recorded 397 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, with a total of 31 death. And in recent days, there has been a spike in new infections, with 11 new confirmed cases being reported in just 24 hours–June 8-9, 2020.
According to County Health Officer, Dr. Adolphus Yeiah, the latest victim is a 49-year-old man who died at the Phebe Hospital this week.
He said “The man in person had underlying health issues and was traveling to Monrovia from Ganta where he fell sick and was rushed to the hospital, where he later met his demise.
His specimen had been taken to the Reference Lab of the National Public Health Institute of Liberia where it was proven he was a COVID-19 positive.
Dr. Yeiah furthered revealed that the new case has no known connections to the first and second. It can be recalled that on Thursday June 4, 2020, Bong County recorded its first case of the COVID-19, a 52 years old man who later died at his home in the Millionaire Quarter community in Gbarnga.
The County confirmed its second case on Monday June 8, 2020, a 65-year-old man from the Phebe Airstrip Community in Suakoko District, who also died a day later on Sunday at the Phebe Hospital..
Yeiah has meanwhile disclosed that the Bong County Health Team is currently working to reactivate an isolation center used during the Ebola outbreak at the hospital.
He also added that they are holding discussions with NPHIL and Health Ministry authorities on establishing a COVID-19 testing center in the county..
“We have moved two beds there to start with. We don’t have much, but will start with the little we have Yeiah told reporters.
Yeiah is meanwhile calling on citizens of the county to strictly adhere to health measures, in order to limit the spread or the virus in the county.