Liberia: Expat is 7th Confirmed Coronavirus Case; Sweden Likely Source of Case No. 6

Lennart Dodoo — Fri, 03 Apr 2020 20:28:27 +0000

The 67 -year-old Indian national who was picked up from his home by health workers had not been to any COVID affected country, according to health authorities.

MONROVIA – FrontPageAfrica has discovered that Mr. Ruji Dua, the Country Director of Population Services International (PSI) is the seventh confirmed case of COVID-19 in Liberia.

Report by Lennart Dodoo, ldodoo@frontpageafricaonline.com

Mr. Dua, FPA gathered, has no travel history to an affected country. It remains unclear how he contracted the virus.

The 67-year-old has been taken into isolation by the National Public Health Institute of Liberia (NPHIL).

Sweden The Source of Reynolds’ Infection

“On Tuesday after the holiday [March 17] he reported in the ministers’ chatroom on WhatsApp that he will be away from work because he’s not well and he wanted to seek medical attention; so, in effect, he has not been at the office since the 13^th of March.”
Mobutu Nyenpan, Minister of Public Works

Mr. Reynolds traveled with other officials of government including the Inspector General of Police, Minister of Transport and other staff of the Ministry of Public Works. They reportedly returned to work immediately upon their return in February.

Meanwhile, FrontPageAfrica has further unearthed that Mr. James Reynolds who has been confirmed as the sixth case traveled to Stockholm, Sweden for the Third Global Ministerial Conference in February.

He traveled with other officials of government including the Inspector General of Police, Col. Patrick Sudue, the Minister of Transport Samuel Wlue, Tarnue Jarboi and Ms. Winifred Cole of the Ministry of Public Works.

The conference was from February 19-20.

Sweden has some of the highest rates of COVID-19 infection around the globe

The Minister of Public Works, Mobutu V. Nyenpan who was also listed to be on the trip told FrontPageAafrica via mobile phone that his trip was cancelled on the eve by President Weah who had asked him to stay in the country for the groundbreaking of the Robertsfield highway expansion.

Min. Nyenpan said Reynolds last reported to work on March 13 after which he sought leave of absence on grounds that he had flu.

“On Tuesday after the holiday [March 17] he reported in the ministers’ chatroom on WhatsApp that he will be away from work because he’s not well and he wanted to seek medical attention; so, in effect he has not been at the office since the 13^th of March,” Min. Nyenpan explained.

He said, his ministry is prepared to proceed under the direction of NPHIL. “This is a medical matter, they’re the professionals, they’re the experts; we have availed our and we will follow their lead. Whatever they decide, we’ll do. Our part is to make available to them every information as we know it and they will make a determination as to whether or not they want to lockdown the ministry or further reduce our staff,” he said.

Blama, Driver, Security Out

Mr. Nathaniel Blama, Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was the first to have been discovered with the Coronavirus upon his return from Sweden on March 13. He was taken into quarantine on March 15

Meanwhile, the NPHIL has released Mr. Nathaniel Blama recorded the first known COVID-19 case in Liberia has been released from quarantine at the 14 Military Hospital.

They were removed from the 14 Military Hospital after they tested negative for COVID-19 for the second time.

They have, however, been taken to a secluded area for further observation before being allowed to go their homes.

Ruji Dua – FrontPageAfrica

Liberia: Expat is 7th Confirmed Coronavirus Case; Sweden Likely Source of Case No. 6