By Foday Moriba Conteh
According to a UNICEF Report, from the 15th June to the 7th July 2020, a total of 1,572 people in the country have tested positive for COVID-19 and 62 people have died. The UN institution maintained that this represents a case fatality rate (CFR) of 4.0%. CFR is highest at 22% amongst cases 60 years old and above. Health care workers account for 10.2% of all positive cases. Male to female ratio of cases is roughly 1:1 whereas 58.1% of deaths are amongst males.
The COVID-19 population incidence is 19.1 cases per 100,000 with cases now present in all 16 districts across the country. Western Area districts make up 62.6% of all cases. Other districts with a significant rate of cases per population are Bo, Bonthe and Kenema.
In all, 12,685 tests have been performed to date; 8,817 contacts have been traced; and 1,531 people are currently in quarantine (both institutional and self-quarantine).
It could be recalled that President Julius Maada Bio,lifted the ban on inter-district travel for a period of two weeks. Social distancing, ban on large gatherings, use of face masks and presence of hand-washing stations in all businesses remain in effect. Meanwhile, the Government has announced the re-opening of schools from 1st July.
Highlighting some of its activities and interventions the UNICEF stated that it continues to assist the Directorate of Primary Health Care (DPHC) to develop and plan a nation-wide training programme on continuity of services during the COVID crisis for community health workers and peripheral health unit (PHU) staff.
The UN body also revealed that altogether 86 water points have now been repaired and now over 43,000 children, women and men, have access to safe water where previously they did not;
That ,UNICEF has scaled up support to 59 community and six national radios with weekly interactive radio programmes to help increase community local leader voices as part of the COVID-19 response.
Trainings for 320 frontline personnel on psycho-social support and child protection case management to vulnerable children in quarantine, isolation, and treatment facilities has commenced under the recently approved PSS strategic framework and work plan.
8,812 households of informal workers in urban areas have been reached with a social assistance transfers and nearly 10,000 principle teachers were engaged on exam timings when schools resume operations in July.
