Monrovia – As part of strengthening measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in Liberia, President George Weah renewed the lockdown by additional two weeks.
Report by Gerald C. Koinyeneh, [email protected]
His latest action comes amid the expiration of the previous two-week lockdown that was enforced in four counties- Montserrado, Margibi, Nimba and Grand Kru, previously designated as hotspots for the coronavirus in Liberia.
In the process, the President, acting on the advice of health authorities extended the stay-at-home order to all of the 15 counties in the country and made wearing of facemasks by every resident in public area mandatory.
On the back of these measures is a 60-day state of emergency that has already been approved by the Legislature, along with a stimulus package that include the free distribution of food and provision of electricity, among others.
In the wake of the President’s latest decision, several residents of Montserrado County, speaking to FrontPage Africa, expressed mixed reactions.
While some voiced out support for the move, others described it as a form of ‘imprisonment’ of ordinary citizens.
Lloyd Karley, a resident of GSA Road said the lockdown is in the right direction as it will help stop the spread of the deadly coronavirus. However, Mr. Karley. Who is also a money exchanger, appealed for the 3 p. m. indoor- restriction to be extended to 5 p. m.
“The lockdown is not really bad because it was put in place for our own protection. But I want the government to extend the 3pm deadline to 5pm,” Karley urged.
“The reason is very simple,” adding, “There are many of our brothers and sisters out there, especially in our community who depend on their daily hustle to survive. When they do not succeed until the deadline approaches, they end up coming to us for small thing. People need more time to look for their daily bread.”
He also called on the authorities to enforce the compulsory wearing of face masks.
“The authorities should enforce the wearing of face masks. A lot of people have already been passing here without masks on and when we try telling them, they would ignore us.”
Another resident of GSA Road, Isaiah T. Cleon, backed the Government’s decision and said the lockdown was necessary.
“The virus is not only in Liberia. It is all over the world. And the Government has the responsibility to protect its citizens. So, the lockdown is very necessary,” Cleon said.
However, Cleon noted that most of the lockdown order has not been enforced because of the harsh living condition of majority of the population.
Apart from the hand washing regulation, he said most of the measures including social distancing and stay- at- home will not be effective unless the Government gives the vulnerable people and those that are most in need food to eat.
“Most people are suffering from hunger. In Liberia, majority of the people depend on daily hustle to get food to eat. And now, the lockdown, along with the 3 p. m. deadline is stopping people from making their daily hustle,” he said.
“In their homes, no way to get food. I am begging the government to extend the time from 3 p. m. to 5 p. m. Government can’t say there is a lockdown and no food, no water and no current. Let the Government including lawmakers come in. The old people and the vulnerable people are suffering.”
For her part, Rose Davis, a street peddler, who is also a single parent, expressed disappointment over the extension of the lockdown, adding that because of the restriction, she has gone out of business.
“I sell clothes, blouses, earrings and other ladies materials but since the state of emergency, my business has gone down. They told us that we should not sell in the streets but if we don’t sell, how we will eat?” Rose asked rhetorically.
Speaking further, she said: “I am a single mother with two children. The Children need to eat and I have to pay my house rent. With this restriction, how does the Government want us to survive? They should really tell us.”
‘Still Confused’
“I am currently still a bit confused about whether it is a lockdown or curfew. The Government should clearly define whether we are under a lockdown or a curfew. If we are under a curfew or a lockdown, the government should make it clear as to which rights as citizens we should expect to be waived, or to be restricted”
Morrison Morris, A Resident of Paynesville
Meanwhile, with more than two weeks into the government’s restriction order, some residents are yet to understand what it is.
One such person is Morrison Morris, a resident of Paynesville, who called for more clarity on the restriction.
Morris said, if it is a lockdown, there should have been minimum interaction in the public.
According to him, under a lockdown, only the head or very important person within a household should go out to buy food or fend for the family and go back home within the stipulated time frame.
While during a curfew, he noted that more than one household members should be allowed to go out but make sure to be home within the deadline shown.
He said total clarity is needed on these restrictions to ensure their proper adherence, and called on the Government to clearly state the rights that are being suspended due to the state of emergency.
“I am currently still a bit confused whether it is a lockdown or curfew. The Government should clearly define whether we are under a lockdown or a curfew. If we are under a curfew or a lockdown, the government should make it clear as to which rights as citizens we should expect to be waived, or to be restricted,” he noted.
“If the government say that we are in a lockdown, I think the lockdown should be preceded by testing because that is the way to go. You lock down, you test, you isolate and then you treat. And this will help us to really curb the virus.”
‘Lockdown -An Imprisonment of Ordinary Liberians’
Meanwhile, some residents, like Joseph Walker, Jr. of Fendell, Louisiana Township did not mince their words in condemning the lockdown.
Mr. Walker termed the extension of the two-week lockdown by the Government without implementing the distribution of the stimulus package as a form ofholding ordinary Liberians in detention.
“I consider the Government of Liberia’s two-week extension of the lockdown without implementation of the promise they made to us when it relates to the distribution of food for the stay-home and face masks, to be another imprisonment of ordinary Liberians like myself,” Walker vented.
Speaking further, he said: “The Liberian Government knows that there are people like me who go out every day to find money to put food on the table, and it has extended the lockdown to 28 days. I have to go out every day to take care of my family. How can I stay home hundred percent as per the President’s order when I am a father, I have kids and a wife? How do I feed them?”
If the lockdown order should work, Walker advised that the Government should fast track the delivery of the stimulus package including the distribution of food, masks and payment of local businesses’ loans.
He added: “In the absence of all those things, the government will just be doing a flamboyant and jovial talk. You cannot tell me to stay home when I am the only person that supposed to provide for my children, you cannot tell me to do a lockdown when it is my daily hustle that can buy bread and put on my table.”
“You cannot tell me to do total shutdown because you want to curtail certain virus which we all know exists in Liberia when I don’t have anything at all. Do you want me to starve my family to death, or you want me to live? I rather die at the hands of corona then to die of starvation.”
‘Open The Church and Mosque
In a bid to enforce its social distancing order, the Government, following the confirmation of Liberia’s index case, suspended all religious.
However, Abraham Gweh, a resident of Caldwell, speaking to FPA said there was no need to halt the worship in Churches and Mosques when market halls and other places were still being crowded.
Gweh, speaking further, called on the Government to begin the distribution of food to residents to stop people roaming about in search of food.
“If you want to get rid of this thing [COVID-19], and want a total lockdown, Government has to sacrifice to get food for those people. No one stays home when nothing is at home to eat. Government has to see reasons to give each household food for the order of a total lockdown to properly take effect,” he insisted.
‘Step up your Game’
Meanwhile, Gweh, speaking further, expressed dissatisfaction over Government’s handling of the coronavirus crisis and called for improvement. Gweh, citing the lack of support to health workers, said was one of the troubling lapses that needed urgent attention.
“Our health workers are exposed. If you look at the number of cases we have, health workers are more affected as compared to ordinary people. They don’t have those protective equipment that they need. The government needs to step up her game,” Gweh urged.
He warned that the fight against the disease should be non-political and called on the Government to invite Liberian public health experts and medical doctors living abroad to come home and boost the fight against the dreadful disease.
He also called for the establishment of more testing centers across the country, especially in Nimba County that have already reported two cases with dozens of people in quarantined.
“If Nimba is being considered as one of the hot zones, and is populated as Montserrado, and you don’t have a testing center there but only have one in Montserrado County, then hell no, you are not up for business,” he sniped.
He said there was a need that government goes back on the drawing board and rethink its decisions to improve, warning that if not, “we will surpass Nigeria or even South Africa.”