Liberia: President Weah Requests US$2M Budgetary Appropriation to Boost Government’s Fight Against COVID-19
MONROVIA – As COVID-19 cases continue to spread rapidly across the country, President George Weah is requesting the Legislature to appropriate US$2 million from the national budget to boost the fight against the deadly disease.
The money, the President said will be specially used for the enforcement of health and security regulations and protocols in confronting the new COVID-19 variant.
“Honorable Speaker, in view of the aforementioned, I again request the Legislature appropriate from the National budget as emergency COVID-19 Response Fund the amount of US$2 million which will assist with the fight and defeat this deadly Coronavirus disease.”
In a nationwide address recently, the President announced that due to the raging third wave of COVID-19, his government was instituting new measures to prevent the spread of the disease.
His addressed was then followed by Health Minister Dr. Wilhelmina Jallah’s announcement of a set of revised health protocols including the mandatory use of masks in public places, social distancing of at least three feet and hand washing with soap and sanitizer.
In the communication, the President informed the lawmakers that it is alarming to note that since the third wave began from the 16th of May to the 17th of June 2021, Liberia had 256 cases.
He noted that the alarming COVID-19 cases was the result of a new strand of the virus.
“We understand that this new COVID-19 is even more deadly than the strains experienced during the previous two waves,” he said.
In addition, he informed the lawmakers that hospitals are presently full with people experiencing breathing difficulties, and there are 50 patients in the treatment units, 33 of whom are severed (as of January 22, 2021).
Despite the alarming statistics, the President revealed that only 67,437 people have taken one dose of the vaccines in Liberia.
He further warned that this third wave is far more alarming than a year ago, when the country experienced its first wave, adding that he has already convened an emergency cabinet meeting to review the full scale of this concerning situation, and to seek an appropriate plan of action to be adopted by Government to address this threatening situation. “We cannot therefore wait until all of our people die. We must therefore act and act now,” he warned.