ZWEDRU, July 20 (LINA) – Grand Gedeh County Health Officer (CHO), Dr. Augustine Fannieh, has announced that a man, 52, has been tested positive with the novel Coronavirus.
The infected person, name withheld, lives in Bowen Quarters in Zwedru with his family. He is a truck driver with a non-governmental organization called Welthunger Hilfe (WHH).
Providing details about the travel records of the victim during a press briefing held in the conference room of the County Health Team (CHT) on Monday, Dr. Fannieh disclosed that the suspect was formerly assigned in Rivercess County.
All Ssaff of WHH, Fannieh said, were later told to return to their respective families when the virus was escalating, at which time the suspect returned to Zwedru in April 2020.
Recently, the NGO in preparedness to begin construction works on the proposed Samuel Kanyon Doe Memorial Hospital in Grand Gedeh, requested all of their staff to do compulsory COVID-19 testing for possible rehiring.
With this recent order from WHH, the victim, who has been living normally with his family members in Zwedru, showing no signs of Covid-19, left Zwedru on Friday, July 17, for a test.
The specimen of the victim, who had been living on 9th Street in Monrovia, was collected on Sunday, July 19, and results finally announced positive of the virus.
The CHO noted that the victim is presently stable, showing no signs and symptoms of COVID-19 and is currently at his home on 9th Street in Monrovia.
Making more disclosures, the CHO mentioned that contact tracing is ongoing. And that out of the 14 contacts, specimens have been collected from 13 persons, leaving a baby without test.
He urged all those that came into contact with the suspect to avail themselves for voluntary testing so as to avoid further spread of the virus and additional cases from the contacts.
The Grand Gedeh CHO called on all citizens and residents in the county to remain peaceful and without panic, going about their normal activities; but observing all measures put in place by the Government to prevent spread of the virus.
In a related development, scores of citizens, including media practitioners have expressed reservations over the recent pronouncement by the CHO.
Some said that so long the victim passed through several affected counties which they referred to as ‘Red Zones,’ including Nimba, Margibi and has been in Monrovia for over 24 hours prior to the testing date, there are high possibility that he might have attracted the virus outside Grand Gedeh County.
Many have resolved to rest such argument pending the outcome of the specimen results from the 14 contact persons.
Grand Gedeh County has just registered a confirmed COVID-19 case since the outbreak of the disease in Liberia in early 2020 and a robust contact tracing is ongoing across the county.
