-Out of 123 Contacts EPA boss Blama Interacted with
Health Authorities Request Liberians to Call 4455
Since Liberia’s health authorities pronounced the outbreak of the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19), two Liberians have been tested positive.
They are now tracing 126 contacts EPA suspended boss, Dr. Blama interacted with. Appearing on the state radio ELBC, Dr. Francis Kateh said out of the 126 contacts made by Dr. Blama, 21 persons are at high risk.
Currently, Liberia has two confirmed cases of the COVID 19 and there more are expected to emerge based on the level of contacts made by the EPA boss, who was suspended by President George Weah this week for allegedly bypassing coronavirus guideline. But Mr. Blama has since refuted the claim.
Liberia’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Kateh said they as health authorities are making all efforts to get all the high risk and low risk contacts traced and tested before the situation goes off hands.
Dr. Kateh also said active contact tracing is what they are concern with now adding that those they were able to reach since the epidemic of the virus, samples have been gathered from them and are now awaiting the results.
For now, they are not doing voluntary testing, “but if you are feeling sick because you have your body, than you can get to us,” Dr. Kateh said.
He encouraged Liberians to call 4455 and if they see a person who is showing all of the signs and symptoms of the virus and or leave their information or visit any health center and leave their information to help them (health authorities) fight the unseen enemy.
When he was quizzed why did the Liberian health authorities named the Dr. Blama when he was tested positive, Dr. Kateh said they never wanted to, but when they saw that Dr. Nathaniel Blama has already posted “this give us the opportunity to call his name.” According to him, in keeping with best practices they would have said Index case or withholding the names.
He furthered: “This is now time for people to stop gathering, we have to be careful and protect ourselves.” Dr. Kateh discouraged Liberians of stigmatizing people at this time and focus on how they can join forces and defeat the virus adding “the incubation period for the virus is 1 to 14 days.”
According to him, the 14 Military Hospital has been secured for treatment of people who will be tested positive. Report by By Mengonfia N. Mengonfia