The four member countries of the sub-regional Mano River Union (MRU) basin including Sierra Leone, Guinean, Liberia and Cote d’Ivoire have recorded a total of 68 new COVID-19 cases for Wednesday 18th November 2020. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) updates, Guinea recorded the highest in the sub-region with 30 new cases followed by Ivory Coast 28 and Sierra Leone and Liberia recording five new cases each.
There are over 1.9 million confirmed COVID-19 cases on the African continent with more than 1.6 million recoveries and 48,033 deaths.
Guinea has cumulatively recorded 12,654 cases representing 0.9 percent of all cases in the region with an attack rate of 88.12 per 100,000 population. They have registered 75 deaths and 11,386 have so far recovered. Cote d’Ivoire recorded 28 new cases taking its cumulative cases to 21,004 representing 1.5 percent of all cases in the region, with an attack rate of 82.05 per 100, 000 population, after a new reported death bringing its death total to 129. Recoveries now stand at 20, 675 persons.
Sierra Leone, after recording 5 new cases, its cumulative cases now stands at 2, 397 cases representing 0.17 percent of all cases in the region, with an attack rate of 33.58 per 100, 000 population, while the country’s deaths remain at 74 with a cumulative recovery of 1, 823 persons. Liberia registered five new cases bringing its cumulative cases to 1, 517 representing 0.11 percent of all cases in the region, with an attack rate of 29.67 per 100, 000 population. Her deaths stand at 82 and a total of 1, 318 persons have so far recovered.
The five new cases recorded in Sierra Leone yesterday Wednesday 18th November 2020 came from Western Area Urban, three; and Western Area Rural, two persons. Nationwide there are 75 persons in quarantine including 48 in the Western Area Urban, 13 in Western Area Rural, 5 in Bombali district and 9 in Bo district.
The bed capacity in the country now stands at 1, 003 after the closure of all quarantine facilities in almost all districts with the exception of Bombali and Bo districts, with one quarantine home each, while Western Area districts has 9 of the remaining 11 quarantine homes in the country.
However, the national spokesperson for the COVID-19 Emergency Response, Solomon Jamiru noted that whatever happened in the sub-region might have an effect on the country hence the more reason for more precautions to be taken along with all health measures.
He said if things are put in proper context from the wave of recorded new cases in the sub-region, discussion on the land border re-opening and standard of operation measures will be fully integrated in the sub region prior to the reopening, “especially when cases are fluctuating, member countries will take into considerations such measures”.
By Mohamed Kabba