MONROVIA – The Monrovia City Government Thursday held an extraordinary meeting to review the ongoing Coronavirus outbreak and the City Government’s corresponding contingency plans with the goal of working with stakeholders within the health sector, community leaders and partners to prevent the outbreak in Liberia.
Speaking at the meeting, Monrovia City Mayor Jefferson T. Koijee said the City Government guided and in collaboration with Ministry of Health, the National Public Health Institute as well as local and international partners are commencing to conduct relevant activities in relation to the preparedness against the novel coronavirus which started in China at the end of Dec 2019.
Today’s meeting highlighted what the City Government intends to accomplish as part of the preparedness and important additional support to strengthen the current level of preparedness across the country.
Mayor Koijee said the virus is a matter of global emergency and as such it should be collectively fought like the case of Ebola.
“It is now time we work together as people to adhere to all preventive measures provided by health authorities to prevent the Coronavirus” He stressed.
“Information dissemination to the public is key and as such the City Government begin educating residents of Monrovia through the mass media, mainly TV and Radio, and various community administrative channels” Lord Mayor Koijee exclaimed.
He stressed the importance of robust sensitization, something he said is one of the surest ways to prevent the virus.
According to Mayor Koijee, the City Government will in the coming days organize a community-based task force on the coronavirus heavily coordinated by Township Commissioners and community leaders.
Mosoka P. Fallah, Deputy Director General/Technical Services, National Public Health Institute of Liberia, during the meeting gave a presentation to the stakeholders drawing on the country’s emergency preparedness experience; and guided by existing WHO guidelines and recommendations has already taken actions to revitalize existing national preparedness.
The strategic meeting was attended by the National Public Health Institute, the Liberia National Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Commission, the Office of the Superintendent of Montserrado County, Township Commissioners, Local and International Partners, staff of the City Government, amongst others.
Another meeting on the coronavirus is expected to be held at the Monrovia City Hall on this Friday.
