MONROVIA – Dr. Mosoka Fallah, head of the National Public Health Institute of Liberia (NPHIL) says the picture of he and Mr. Benjamin C. Soko, a staff of NPHIL, who tested positive to COVID-19 on April 10 was not taken on April 5 which is the date it was posted to Facebook. He clarified that the picture was taken on March 1 during a training session at the Roberts International Airport.
Report by Lennart Dodoo, [email protected]
According to him, the Facebook post has created panic among his friends and colleagues with some avoiding close contact with him.
“Trust me, you and those sending this information want to take me out and trust me if I manifest a symptom or came in contact with the positive case I will let the entire country to know.”
– Dr. Mosoka Fallah, Director-General, National Public Health Institute of Liberia
Dr. Fallah, however, did not respond to an FPA inquiry whether he has turned himself in for a voluntary COVID-19 test.
At the testing center, Mr. Soko gave a false name, Benjamin C. Tokofo, and didn’t leave a contact number, thereby, making it difficult for him to be reached when the result came out positive for the virus.
However, he said, “Trust me, you and those sending this information want to take me out and trust me if I manifest a symptom or came in contact with the positive case I will let the entire country to know.”
According to NPHIL, his real identify was discovered two days after the results.
NPHIL informed all of its staff that the IPC team under Mr. Philip Bemah will be conducting a risk assessment. All staff working in the response will be contacted by on Wednesday (today) to begin a risk assessment. High-risk contacts will be sent to do their COVID-19 laboratory test.