TUBMANBURG, Bomi – On June 13, health authorities in Bomi announced that the county had recorded its first case of the Coronavirus.

In a press conference, Bomi’s county health officer, Dr. Augustus Quiah, said the index case is a 65-year-old woman residing in Tubmanburg.

The county health officer explained that on June 10, a man who had tested positive of the virus in Monrovia noted that he had visited Tubmanburg on May 30 and had a series of interactions with the 65-year-old index case in Bomi.

Upon receiving this information, Quiah said the district surveillance officer for the Central Monrovia Health District communicated the information to Bomi’s county surveillance officer on June 11.

“We informed the family members and arrangements were made to collect samples,” Quiah added. “But only two samples were collected, and one came back positive, while the other is still being processed. The other close high-risk contacts’ samples will be collected today.”

The county health officer noted that the patient had been transferred to 14 Military Hospital. He also said vigorous contact tracing had begun and stressed that about eight contacts had been listed so far.

Quiah encouraged Bomi residents to continue observing the precautionary measures prescribed by the government: “Let us please keep safe and continue to observe all of the measures – the social distancing, mask-wearing, the use of hand sanitizers.”

He also asked community leaders and the media to continue to disseminate messages meant to curb the spread of the virus.

Quiah added that health facilities in Bomi would continue to provide services to the public, but with “stricter health measures.”

On Saturday, Liberia recorded an additional 25 COVID-19 cases, as cases have increased rapidly since the government has been lifting some measures meant to curb the spread of the virus. Over the past week, there have been 101 new cases – up from 65 cases the week before and 25 two weeks before.