COVID-19: On the Ground in Monrovia, Liberia

Five years ago, Liberia was in a fight for its life.  The small West African country threw everything it had in its health systems at the dreaded Ebola virus disease. By the time the epidemic was over, more than 11,000 people in the tri-state region of Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia had died. Still based in Monrovia, Kamal Anisiobi writes about the impact of the 2020 Coronavirus pandemic.

Such is the severity of the situation that the President of Liberia George Manneh Weah saw it fit to drop an awareness song, sang by himself and other Liberian artists, to let his people know about this new fast-killing virus and ways of preventing it.

Weah hopes to appeal to the nation of some 4.5 million people to ensure COVID-19 does not spread. Unfortunately,  Environment Protection Agency Executive Director, Dr. Nathaniel Blamah was confirmed to be the first to test positive with COVID-19, the disease associated with the new strain of the coronavirus, after he recently returned from an official trip.

Fast forward a month later and the toll of infected people has risen to seven (7), according to reports from the Health Ministry. The said persons are currently in self-isolation /quarantine at the 14 Military Hospital and are adhering to the rules of medical experts.

On March 22, the health ministry and the government of Liberia declared a national health emergency and the country was put on lockdown partially.

Some socialites, musicians, youth leaders, and unions have taken it upon themselves to spread awareness about the virus. They have contributed to the cause of "kicking the virus to the curb" by educating people about what to do and what not to do.

They also have donated a lot of supplies such as hand sanitizers, face masks, hand gloves, detergents, disinfectants, and medicated soap to various communities to help curb the spread of the virus.

Churches, mosques, bars, and beaches were closed and gatherings of more than 10 people banned, with citizens ordered to stand two meters (six feet) apart. Schools have been closed nationwide.

Everyone has been advised to stay at home and be safe and only go out if it is essential for them to do so. Which then makes it hard for the less privileged, the ones who must go out daily to find money to feed themselves and their families. How do they survive? What do they feed on? If the government is imposing such rules, then they should also find a means of providing for those who cannot be able to at this time.

My hope is that the world would find a cure soon to this virus and that everything would go back to as it was.