COVID-19 pandemic in Liberia

Location of Liberia

The first case of the COVID-19 pandemic in Liberia became known on March 16, 2020. On August 30, 2020, a total of 1304 registered infected people were reported. 872 of them recovered and 82 died.

background

The pandemic is part of the global COVID-19 pandemic that started in China in December 2019. It affects the novel disease COVID-19 . This is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus from the Coronaviridae group and belongs to the group of respiratory diseases . From March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) classified the outbreak of the novel coronavirus as a global pandemic.

location

Liberia is a developing country with around 5 million people on the West African Atlantic coast and bordering Sierra Leone , Guinea and the Ivory Coast . Liberia is a high risk area for various diseases because tropical diseases such as yellow fever , cholera , dengue fever and year-round malaria occur frequently there. It is one of the poorest countries and the country's health care system is at a low level.

From 2014 to 2016, an Ebola fever epidemic with many deaths raged in the states of Liberia, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea . Based on these experiences with Ebola, press commentators assume that this is one reason for the relatively mild course of the COVID-19 pandemic in Liberia. In addition, the fact that Liberia carried out COVID-19 tests at airports early on - as early as April 6th - should also play a role.

Course and measures

On March 16, 2020, it was announced that a deputy country minister tested positive for COVID-19 after arriving from Switzerland at Roberts International Airport .

All commercial flights to and from Liberia have been suspended since March 24th. Since March 5th, after health checks, travelers from Germany have to go to a 14-day quarantine, which usually takes place in the Precautionary Observation Center Star Base . In the greater Monrovia area, curfews , which are associated with restrictions on public life, have been in effect since April 11, 2020. There are far-reaching restrictions on movement between the parts of Liberia.

On April 4, 2020, the National Health Institute of Liberia counted the first Covid-19 death in a total of 10 infected people. President George Weah announced on April 8th that he would impose a lockdown on the country from April 11th for the next 3 weeks. This resulted in a ban on going out, all unnecessary travel to the city, all schools, churches, mosques, bars, beaches and celebrations being closed.

This measure was followed on April 21 by a public request to wear nose face masks without any announcement of any consequences.

International reactions

China pledged medical aid to Liberia on March 18.

The US embassy began evacuating its citizens on March 27 and the European Union flew its citizens on April 1 .

On April 13, the International Monetary Fund promised the state of Liberia financial aid for debt servicing in an undisclosed amount.

Controversy

There was controversial discussion in Liberia following the publication of the name of the first person infected, a deputy minister in the country. As an argument in favor of the publication of the name, President Weah and the Minister of Information Lenn Eugene Nagbe cited that chains of infection could be better traced in this way .

statistics

The number of cases developed during the COVID-19 pandemic in Liberia as follows:

Infections

Confirmed infections (cumulative) in Liberia
according to WHO data

New infections in Liberia
according to WHO data

Deaths

Confirmed deaths (cumulative) in Liberia
according to WHO data

Confirmed deaths (daily) in Liberia
according to WHO data

Remarks

1. ↑ ^{a b c d} Cases reported to WHO by national authorities are listed here. Since the situation is very dynamic, there may be discrepancies or delays between the cases of the WHO and the data of national authorities as well as the information provided by other bodies, such as the Johns Hopkins University (CSSE).

Individual evidence

1. ↑ worldometers.info
2. ↑ Pulmonologists on the net: Covid-19: Causes . Online at www.lungenaerzte-im-netz.de. Retrieved April 5, 2020.
3. ↑ Tagesschau: "Deeply worried". WHO speaks of corona pandemic . March 11, 2020. Online at www.tagesschau.de. Retrieved April 5, 2020.
4. ↑ ^{a b} Lucinda Rouse: Liberia braces for coronavirus with defunct health system. Healthcare woes limit effect of Ebola learnings during 2014-16 epidemic as Liberia gears up to fight COVID-19 outbreak . In: Aljazeera of April 6, 2020
5. ↑ Liberia Records First Case of Coronavirus; Health Authorities Hold Emergency Meeting . In: Front Page Africa of March 16, 2020
6. ↑ Liberia: Travel and Safety Advice . In: Federal Foreign Office of April 21, 2020
7. ↑ 3 New Cases Confirmed . In: National Public Health Institute of Liberia-NPHIL of April 4, 2020
8. ^ Liberia: President Weah Announces 3 Weeks State of Emergency . In: Front Page Africa of April 8, 2020
9. ↑ Will You Wear Mask? Liberia's Lawmakers Want Compulsory Wearing of 'Protective Device' In Public . In: Front Page Africa of April 23, 2020
10. ↑ China Donates PPEs To Help Combat COVID-19 In: Liberian News Agency of March 19, 2020
11. ↑ Liberia: US Embassy Evacuates Citizens from Liberia amid Covid-19 Pandemic '' . In: Front Page Africa of March 26, 2020
12. ↑ Liberia: COVID-19 Positive Flees into Hiding Due to Fear of Stigmatization . In: Front Page Africa of April 4, 2020
13. ↑ IMF Executive Board Approves Immediate Debt Relief for 25 Countries . In: IMF of April 23, 2020
14. ^ National Health Institute In: National Public Health Institute of Liberia-NPHIL on Facebook March 16, 2020
15. ↑ ^{a b c d} Coronavirus disease (COVID-2019) situation reports. WHO, accessed on August 9, 2020 .