GREENVILLE, Sinoe – Grand Gedeh’s county health officer, Dr. Augustine Fannieh, has confirmed that the county has recorded its first COVID-19 case, making it the final county in Liberia to record a case.
During a phone interview on July 21, Fannieh announced that a 52-year-old man had tested positive for the Coronavirus. He said the patient, who lived in Bowen Quarters in Zwedru with his family, is also a truck driver with a non-governmental organization Welthungerhilfe.
Fannieh disclosed that the man was previously assigned in River Cess. However, due to the escalating nature of the pandemic, he returned to Zwedru in April 2020.
Welthungerhilfe, in anticipation of beginning construction on a proposed Samuel Kanyon Doe Memorial Hospital in Grand Gedeh, requested all staff to be tested for COVID-19. The man, who had previously shown no signs or symptoms of the virus, left Zwedru on July 17 for a test, Fannieh said.
His specimen was collected on July 19 and the results came back positive. The Grand Gedeh county health officer noted that the victim is presently stable, showing no signs and symptoms of COIVD-19, and is residing at a home at 9th Street, Sinkor, in Monrovia.
Meanwhile, Fannieh said contact tracing is ongoing, with 13 specimens collected. He urged all those that encountered the victim to be voluntarily tested to avoid further spreading the virus.
He called on all residents in the county to avoid panicking, but to observe health measures.
Liberia has now recorded 1,107 cases as of July 19, with 547 recovered and 70 deaths.
