The level of complacence being manifested by members of the public amid aggressive public health education and awareness rising about the dangers of coronavirus and the COVID19 pandemic, by health workers with hopes that by now all and sundry should have been well informed about preventive preparedness of their communities, families and oneself from the demonic global plague. Covid19 is real and has killed so many people. We must take precautions as a country in collectively fight the pandemic, by simply adhering to the new ways of life to save lives.
It is widely observed with grave concerns that certain members of the public and agencies who are completely downplaying the fight against the Covid19 pandemic. The withholding and delays in payments of allowances to doctors and nurses working at treatment centres are not fair. It demotivate health workers especially when the world is watching the wind falls from donors to contain the pandemic and recovery, one expect all eye brows should be raised on welfare, with fixed focus on preventive measure protocols are in place. People should not be in a rush to cross the Covid19 Bridge and refuse to practice the new ways of life; hand washing, use of a hand sanitizer, moving around with an unmask face, congesting in a crowded places and contact with other necked skins. The old ways are being reversed as against measures prescribed by health workers, which should not be soften for Sierra Leone is not yet out of the woods. We are still battling Covid19 virus.
For instance the use of face mask was about to be softened by self-regulators not until when the police recently made it mandatory and fully reinforced, by making it clearly known that it is crime to move around without a face mask, and that drivers were notified for defaulters.
Apart from ignoring masking up, hand washing, social distancing, handshakes, body contacts are all less adhered to with so many people saying; “we are tired and Covid19 and corona must end now.” In public transports plying east-west and those traveling to provinces are also reverting to the old bad norms of overloading, with less regards for preventive protocols.
Hence our reminder to all is that easing restrictions and relaxing curfew shouldn’t be capitalized on by people to downplay preventive protocols even as coronavirus and Covid19 are not yet gone and people should abide by health and safety regulations provided by health experts. We must continue to mask up, abide by restrictions rules in accordance with the time stipulated by Government through the Ministry of Health and Sanitation.
By these it means we must all continue to use our hand sanitizers, wash our hands regularly, stay at home, stay safe to save lives, avoid over crowded places the list of precautions are many, bearing in minds that the pandemic though effort are being made by Government and development partners is still around. So we must take collective cautions in trying to defeat the common enemy.
And authorities must take caution now going forward in the national efforts of containing the pandemic, if we really mean business to return our beloved country to a trajectory of normalcy so soon.
Therefore by reinforcing regulations guiding preventive protocols, there should in the first place be no compromise irrespective of defaulters’ social, political and regional status in society when once anybody is found flouting the rules must be dealt with accordingly, to end impunity in the fight against Covid19 in Sierra Leone. People must adapt to the new ways of life to defeat the virus.
By so doing, all vehicles-taxies and minivans must be regularly checked making sure that motorists do not overload. That clearly implies that preventive protocols are being downplayed and compromised to undermining the whole national efforts towards eradicating the virus.
Compromise in favour of people with immunities should not in any way undermine and prolong the war on the Covid19 pandemic. All efforts are needed in the fight to put a complete end to the viral disease and return to proper state governance.
Therefore at the same time, Government should not be seen prolong the fight with gimmicks and delaying tactics only to be securing donor funds, but must remained proactive as always in pursuing the virus as time is no longer in favour of Government as too much time and resources have been wasted on a pandemic that is still around.
Forum hence caution all that coronavirus irrespective of the strain we have is not yet full eradicated in Sierra Leone and we must continue to be fully adapted to the new ways of life in our tireless efforts in eradicating Covid19 from Sierra Leone. So let us all comply with protocols as it is being demanded by the new ways of life
