By Mohamed Foday Conteh
The Risk Communication Lead of the National Coronavirus Response Centre (NaCOVERC), Harold Thomas has pleaded with Sierra Leoneans to adhere to COVID-19 protocols, despite the country’s being struck-off the UK Government’s Red List of countries considered to be risky in terms of travel during this pandemic.
“This is great news for the nation and we are appealing to Sierra Leoneans to take up all precautions seriously,” he said.
Thomas made this appeal while speaking to Politico just 39 hours before the removal of Sierra Leone from countries red -listed by the authorities in London.
It was announced on Thursday 6th October that Sierra Leone and a host of other countries will be removed from the red list today Monday 11th October 2021 at 4 in the morning. Cape Verde, Angola and Burundi were also to have been removed from the list today.
Thomas said the action by the British was because Sierra Leone was recording zero and single digit cases intermittently for almost a month now. He believed the country has defeated the third wave of the pandemic due to the stringent measures put in place by NaCOVERC to curb the spread of the virus.
He said 400,000 (four hundred thousand) people have received the first dose so far and 100,000 (one hundred thousand) are recipients of the second jab, about 5 percent of the total population. He pointed out that Sierra Leone is yet to achieve the African Union average vaccination rate of 10 percent and revealed that NaCOVERC has dropped the age limit for immunisation to 18 years and over in order for more people to take the jab.
Some members of the public believe that the spread of the virus in the previous two waves was as a result of the influx of inbound passengers, with growing fears among the general populace that the approaching festive season will see an influx of Sierra Leoneans from the diaspora and other holiday makers coming to Sierra Leone.
However, NaCOVERC has reportedly recorded only 407 inbound passengers having tested positive since the emergence of the virus in the country. Thomas said proper testing will be done at all entry points and only vaccinated travelers will be allowed into the country. He said those passengers that have not received their jabs will be quarantined at their own expense in NaCOVERC selected hotels.
Thomas said NaCOVERC’s Compliance and Monitoring team will ensure people adhere to the 13th September Public Notice that did not only see the lifting of the curfew but also the maintaining of some compliance measures. He said this is prudent, in light of the coming festive season which sees the convergence of large crowds in public places.
According to the Ministry of Health and Sanitation, Sierra Leone has recorded a total of 121 deaths and 6,396 confirmed cases since the virus was first recorded on the 31st March last year. The Western Area Urban, where the capital Freetown is situated, has been the epicentre of the virus with a total of 3,779 confirmed cases so far.
Copyright © Politico Online 11/10/21
