COVID-19: This is how Sierra Leone with zero case wants to prevent outbreak
With over 400 cases of the novel coronavirus already recorded in Africa, Sierra Leone, one of the few African countries with zero case is already putting measures in place to prevent outbreak.
Although Africa has recorded the least number of coronavirus cases globally, governments across the continent are taking no chances as they announce strict restrictions to contain its spread.
Currently, only Sierra Leone, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, The Gambia, Mali, Niger – are the only countries in West Africa uninfected. Sierra Leone’s immediate neighbours, Guinea and Liberia, have confirmed cases. Liberia’s first case was imported by a government official who recently returned from Switzerland. Worried by the increasing numbers of infections in Africa, mostly imported by Europe returnees, Sierra Leone President Julius Bio has banned overseas trip for all government officials.
Bio in a statement on Monday also banned public gatherings of more than 100 people.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) had expressed concerns about the vulnerability of countries with weak health systems like Sierra Leone to fight the virus if there is an outbreak and the country is also not taking chances.
Reports say the West African country’s proactive measures may have been informed by its experience in handling the outbreak of Ebola virus which killed 4,000 in the country between 2014 and 2016.
According to World Economic Forum (WEF), Sierra Leone’s eastern region was the first to be affected by Ebola in May 2014, by August 2014 the outbreak had spread to other regions in the country. More than 8,000 probable and confirmed cases and more than 4,000 related deaths occurred in Sierra Leone during the outbreak.
The lessons learnt from battling Ebola has equipped health authorities and government in Sierra Leone to be proactive and start putting measures in place to avoid a repeat of such fatality.
Unlike 2014 when the populace had little information about Ebola, its spread and prevention, which gave room for false information to fester, WEF says Sierra Leone has since embarked on serial community engagements, workshops, radio and TV health programmes designed to make people aware of the COVID-19 outbreak.
During the 2013-2016 Ebola outbreak, people arriving at the Lungi International Airport in Freetown (the country’s only international airport) were quarantined only if their body temperature was above 37.2°C (99°F). But since December 2019, Sierra Leone have been quarantining everyone arriving from China and other Asian countries. They are also quarantining for 14 days anyone who arrives at Lungi International Airport with a very high temperature.
President Bio has also engaged members of the country’s National Ebola Response Centre (NERC) to use their experience to strengthen Sierra Leone’s preparedness to tackle coronavirus.
Some Sierra Leoneans have taken to social media to commend the government’s proactive measures and also advise citizens on measures to take to stay safe.
A Sierra Leone citizen tweeted:
Thank you Mr. President for being open minded and extending an invitation to leadership of the Ebola Response Team as Sierra Leone plans stop the Coronavirus; or beat the virus down should it find its way in the country!
We are better together to fight the Coronavirus!— Willie Gus Williams (@guswill2006) March 17, 2020
Another wrote:
Coronavirus may not have entered Sierra Leone, but its effects on our people are real. Closing our boarders would be adding insult to injury.
— Paul Moses (@PaulMos82080606) March 17, 2020
This Corona virus thing is scaring the sh*t out of me. I’m hoping and pray it will soon end and Sierra Leone will be safe. Becareful and protect yourself!!!
— Hawa kanu (@hawa_kanu) March 16, 2020
