Amin Kef Sesay
It was officially reported that three COVID-19 deaths were recorded two days ago in the country after a total of 245 new cases of the virus were announced by the Government. On the 5th June 2021, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases was 4,188, rising to 4,433 on Monday, 14th of June 2021 and on the 15th June, 2021, 16 new cases was reported shooting the total number to 261 cases just within ten days making the total cumulative confirmed cases 4,449.
For now this marks a new and growing surge in the virus in Sierra Leone, after weeks of relative calm which many say is due to massive under-reporting of the extent of the pandemic in the country, as officials are accused of massaging the figures.
Although the Government says it has stepped up testing, this falls far short of what is expected, with less than 0.5% of the population of 7 million ever tested for the virus.
On the 14th June, 2021, 45 new cases were reported, after 37 cases were recorded on the 13th June 2021. On the 12th June 2021, 20 new cases were reported.
So far, only 184 of the 4,433 cases recorded so far since the start of the pandemic last year, have come from new arrivals into the country through the airport, despite fears of a growing number of passengers from abroad potentially carrying the more aggressive Indian variant.
The total number of COVID cases recorded in Western Rural Area has grown from 569 to 617, an increase of 48 new cases since Saturday 5th of June 2021.
On the 14th June 2021, an African Cup of Nations football match between Sierra Leone and Benin was once again called off, after six of the Sierra Leonean players were reported to have tested positive for COVID in Guinea where the match was to be held.
This is a statement issued by the SLFA media team from Guinea: “CAF has directed that the pending AFCON Qualifiers match between Sierra Leone and Benin originally scheduled to be replayed today at the Stade de Lansana Conte in Conakry Guinea be postponed to tomorrow Tuesday June 15 at the same venue.
“This follows controversies around alleged COVID-19 positive results of six players and two officials in the Sierra Leone delegation after the CAF designated Security Officer, Andy Quamie, had officially communicated to SLFA a hundred percent negative test result this morning. The six members of the Leone Stars delegation have been retested for a second opinion.”
