MONROVIA-What was considered as a ‘blatant disregard’ for the measures against containing the spread of the coronavirus took place on Sunday January 31, 2021 during the finals of the National County Sports Meet (NCSM) at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex.
The stadium with an estimated capacity of 35,000 ,was filled with Liberians beyond the normal capacity. Some of them fainted and were rescued by the Liberia National Fire Service trucks.
The fire service has to quickly move into the stadium to begin dousing the spectators due to the severe heat and overcrowding.
The situation became even worse as the ‘All Stars’ featuring President George Weah took on the ‘Junior Lonestar players’ in a friendly encounter on the field.
Social distancing (zero) avoidance of overcrowdiness [zero], usage of constant nose masks [zero]), constant hand washing [zero] are some of the serious measures put in place by the Ministry of Health through the Liberian Government to curtail the spread of the virus, but those measures were all ‘blatantly ignored’ on Sunday January 31, 2021 at the stadium.
Supporters who had trooped at the stadium were seen hugging, without nose masks, hand sanitizers and clustered up in an alarming and uncomfortable health positions without any announcement from official organizers of the tournament.
The Ministry of Health through the Liberian Government has since ordered schools, entertainment centers, markets, public places opened with straight adherence to the measures to eradicate the virus, but the cases of the virus in the country had since increased.
Prior to the lifting of some restrictions, Liberia had a case load of 33 active cases of the virus, but that number has since increased without any warning. Some experts believe it is as a result of the noncompliance to the measures as evidenced on Sunday January 31, 2021.
According to the current statistic in Liberia, the country has so far recorded a total of 1,939 cases, 1,760 recovery and 84 deaths as of Monday February 1, 2021.
The world has also 103 million cases plus 502 new cases, 57.2million recovery and 2,230,000 deaths plus 11, 986 as of Monday February 1, 2021.
According to Liberians spoken to, what puzzles them was that the violations of the health protocols took place in the very presence of President George Weah.
Liberia is one of the countries in the West African region that continues to experience the virus despite the Ministry of Health earlier pronouncement that schools and other areas should open with the decline in the cases.
However, the number of active cases continues to increase since the country recorded the lowest.
Health experts believe if nothing is done fast, the country might just revert to the past when the virus became rigid in the country.
According to them, with neighboring countries reporting active cases as well, it is even risky for Liberia especially with her poorest borders with those countries.