By William Selmah, wselmah@gmail.com
Liberia’s Education Minister Prof. Ansu Sonii has warned that the government will not hesitate to shut down schools failing to abide by the revised health regulations aimed at protecting against the third wave of COVID 19, amid a spike in the third wave and new COVID-19 variant.
He is admonishing school administrators to institute tougher measures if they must continue to operate their respective institutions.
Liberia recorded four new COVID-19 deaths on Sunday, which brought the total number of deaths to 99, with 62 new confirmed cases announced by the National Public Health Institute (NPHIL) on June 20, 2021.
Liberian health officials have said the treatment units in around Monrovia have run out of beds and the spike in the third wave Covid with the new Delta variant has overwhelmed the country’s struggling health care system. Oxygen, which is needed to keep critically ill patients alive, is also said to be seriously in short supply in the country.
Prof. Snonii is also recommending tougher punishments for students violating the health regulations. “If you don’t want to wash your hands, don’t come to school; If you don’t want to wear mask, don’t come to school”, the minister said when he spoke to state radio Tuesday June 22, 2021.
Min. Sonii
He wants institutions to use their administrative policies to ensure that all of the students abide by the guidelines.
The Education Minister further added that a supervisory team has been organized to closely monitor health compliance at various schools.
Since President Weah announced that the country has been hit with a third wave of the deadly COVID-19, various institutions have been taking stern actions aimed at curbing a further spread of the outbreak.
The Legislature on Monday June 21, 2021 told all of its staffers to stay home, except two persons per office, while the National Port Authority announced today Tuesday June 22, 2021that it was temporarily reducing its workforce by 80%, as part of the preventive measures.
The state run University of Liberia has already suspended student reregistration for the current semester, a move that has also affected the institution’s graduate programs.