By Alpha Abu
Sierra Leone’s impressive handling of the corona virus pandemic has received recognition, this time from the British authorities. The country was among few others on the continent not to be included in Britain’s “Red List” of nations with appalling records on controlling the pandemic.
Sierra Leone recorded the first covid -19 case on the 31 March 2020. Since that time and up to our going to press, the country has suffered 79 deaths from 4,044 reported cases of infection. So far 2,967 infected people have recovered from the disease. Having largely gained experience from the devastating Ebola outbreak of 2014-2016, the government immediately instituted stringent measures including partial and total lockdowns and restrictions on public gatherings in the wake of the initial recorded cases. The use of face mask in public places including shops was also reinforced as well the application of hand washing.
A team from the continental office of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) in South Africa visited Sierra Leone in November 2020 to learn from the country its successful managing and control of the corona virus. They toured parts of the country and later expressed their admiration for Sierra Leone’s successes in combating the pandemic.
The United States Centre for Disease Control also last year listed Sierra Leone among the few African countries that it said had very low risk factors for travelling during this pandemic period. And on the 26 January 2021, the United States Embassy in Freetown approved air travel from Sierra Leone to the United States. An embassy statement indicated that airline passengers two years and older should have taken a Covid 19 test within three days of travel. The authorities in Freetown have now eased restrictions in places of worship and sporting venues and have removed the night curfew. Ban on night clubs has still been maintained including the use of face masks in public places.
Copyright © 2021 Politico Online 26/04/21
