MONROVIA, Jan. 25 (LINA) – President George M. Weah has assured Liberians that the food relief program commonly known as COVID-19 stimulus package distribution will continue across five counties.
It can be recalled that in March 2020, Liberia recorded its first COVID-19 case.
During the year under review andits response to COVID-19, the 54th National Legislature approved in April 2020 a State of emergency and provided stimulus support as part of the national budget.
The legislature approved US$25 million for food distribution to provide relief for Liberians throughout the country.
The WFP was selected and received the money to implement the food distribution program.
Delivering his fourth annual message to the 54th Legislature on Monday, January 25, President Weah said that the government has signed a « No Cost » extension with the World Food Program (WFP) to complete the food distribution by the end of March 2021.
According to the president, WFP confirmed the distribution of more than forty percent (40%) of food to ten (10) counties benefiting about one million Liberians.
The Liberian leader named Sinoe, River Gee, Lofa, Grand Kru and Bopurlu counties as the five counties that are yet to receive their respective supplies of the stimulus package.
At the same time, President Weah has hailed the thousands of medical practitioners, doctors, physician assistants, nurses, mid-wives and all other categories of healthcare workers from all over Liberia who placed their lives on the line so that Liberians can be safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.
« We owe them an eternal debt of gratitude that we will never be able to repay; they are our heroes and heroines, and we say thanks to them from a grateful nation, » Dr. Weah said.
President Weah explained that prior to its first case of the Coronavirus, Liberia was probably the first country in Africa to begin to quarantine travelers from COVID-19 infected countries.
He further noted that three health institutions also launched massive testing and contact tracing programs that have proven quite successful.
« To date, Liberia has 1,637 infections, and more than 1,360 persons have recovered from COVID-19, with 13 persons dying in a treatment facility. These numbers represent one of best COVID-19 responses in the world, » President Weah observed..
He believes that the three branches of Government have coordinated quite well to deliver “a strong national response” to COVID-19 that enabled a massive reduction in COVID-19 cases.
It can be recalled that in 2020 President Weah established a Special Presidential Committee on COVID-19 (SPACOC), which brought together the Ministry of Health, National Public Health Institute and other development partners and other stakeholders to drive the fight against COVID-19.
According to President Weah, the pro-active leadership of national Government, along with development partners and other stakeholders, hugely helped in containing the COVID-19 virus which has been globally recognized.
Dr. Weah recalled that the former head of the United States Centers for Disease Control recognized Liberia as “Best at Learning form a Recent Epidemic”, adding:
“Liberia, hardly hit by the Ebola epidemic in 2014, was one of the first countries to start screening for COVID-19 at airports and to adopt other control measures, such 0as rapid testing, complete contact tracing and quarantine.”
President Weah emphasized that every citizen has held together as a country throughout the pandemic, and with the support from development partners have mounted an effective response.
