MONROVIA – In an effort to kick Coronavirus or COVID 19 out of Liberia, the Watkins Initiative for Nations (WIN) has commenced a second phase of distribution of anti-coronavirus materials including mini drums and buckets to communities and public areas in the Congo Town Township.
The Congo Town Township hosts parts of two electoral districts (districts 5&6) and an entire electoral district (district 10) in Montserrado. District 10 which housed the entire of Old Road Community has been categorized as the second-high burden coronavirus affected community in Montserrado County.
Bulk of the WIN interventions are currently focused on the Old Road Community as an endeavor to help curtail the spread of the virus and keep communities innocuous.
WIN, said as part of its #WIN4Liberia project launched early this year, is poised to reach all communities within the Congo Town Township and beyond with an anti-coronavirus material which include buckets for hand washing and other detergents to protect communities against the spread of the virus in the country.
“It is our hope that communities are provided at least an anti-coronavirus bucket and other materials to help prevent vast majority of our growing population against the COVID 19. We are calling on the government and partners to target communities reporting high burden confirmed coronavirus cases with anti-coronavirus assorted items; and at the same time reach out to communities that have reported no case,” Mr. Y. Solomon W. Watkins, Executive Director of WIN noted.
So far, the #WIN4Liberia project has reached over 25 communities and public centers within the Congo Town Township with anti-coronavirus drums or buckets and other assorted items, including flyers and stickers as a way of keeping the public inform about the spread of the virus and how to prevent it or seek treatment, care and support services in Liberia.
Some of the communities include: Cabral Estate, Tarr Town, Gaye Town, Chubor, Peace Island, Divine Town, Catholic Community, Yeakpee Town, Transformer Community, Polotorie, Keyhole, Naipay Town, Karlando, Diet Hole, Varwan or behind Nigerian house, VP Road community – Center for Intellectual Association (CIA) area, Smythe Road, and Barchue Town, etc.
Meanwhile, Mr. Y. Solomon W. Watkins, the Executive Director of WIN has expressed serious concern over the upward trend in confirmed cases of the COVID-19.
As of April 13, 2020, Liberia reported 51 confirmed COVID 19 cases; 4 persons recovered with 5 deaths and several suspected cases.
The head of WIN believed the new trend pre-proposes that Liberia’s COVID-19 situation could increase by mid-week and worsen by next week if nothing is done to arrest the current spread of the virus in Liberia.
Mr. Watkins says the Government of Liberia needs to depoliticized the fight against the virus. He asked that the National Public Health Institute of Liberia (NPHIL) and the Ministry of Health (MOH) be a force independently ready and good to fight the virus.
“Employed competent people, especially health workers to do the required job. We need to also use the community approach to fight Covid-19 with the Resilience used doing the EBOLA crisis recently won,” Mr. Watkins said.
For him, already Liberia has lost on some of the opportunities to have stop the virus from spreading, but he said “it’s never too late to correct what is wrong.”
“I am confident that Liberia can defeat Covid-19 if we keep our best at the frontline. We must not in any way sidelined them. The health workers and Community have been our heroes during previous crisis. They must keep that partnership while we seek help from great Nations out there who have experience in Infectious Disease Controlled. It’s time that we call on them now. We need help, and there is no time better than now to call for such help. There is no need for any more death. Let’s act now! But don’t forget to put your house in order first!” Mr. Watkins noted.