Liberia: Military ends COVID-19 policing deployment as state of emergency expires July 22 /update 12

Event

President George Weah announced that the military will end its civil policing role in Liberia from Wednesday, July 22, as the country's coronavirus disease (COVID-19) state of emergency expires. Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) soldiers are expected to immediately return to their barracks, more than three months after they were deployed to enforce lockdown restrictions as the government sought to control the outbreak. The AFL had been accused of aggressively enforcing movement restrictions and other lockdown measures in Monrovia and across the country since April and the government had faced calls for their withdrawal from the streets, although the military will continue to provide logistical and medical support to the country's health services.

The withdrawal of military personnel came as Weah stated that Liberia's lockdown was being eased in order to support the country's economy. However, it is currently unclear which restrictions are likely to remain in place. The president has also encouraged the public to continue with social distancing measures to stem the spread of the virus. Emergency public health legislation, including the mandatory use of face masks in public places, are expected to remain in place.

The Liberian government began easing the country's COVID-19 restrictions in May, with the reopening of essential shops and places of worship, and Roberts International Airport (ROB) in Monrovia resumed operations at the end of June. However, international commercial flights have been limited and the borders with Sierra Leone, Guinea and Côte d'Ivoire remain closed.

As of July 22, there have been 1108 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Liberia with 70 associated deaths. Further international spread of the virus is expected over the near term.

Context

The first case of COVID-19 was reported on December 31 and the source of the outbreak has been linked to a wet market in Wuhan (Hubei province, China). Since then, human-to-human transmission of the virus has been confirmed.

Cases of the virus have been confirmed in numerous countries and territories worldwide. On March 11, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the global outbreak a pandemic. Virus-screening and quarantining measures are being implemented at airports worldwide, as well as extensive travel restrictions.

The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, dry cough, and tiredness. Some patients may experience other symptoms such as body pains, nasal congestion, headache, conjunctivitis, sore throat, diarrhea, loss of taste or smell or a rash on skin or discoloration of fingers or toes. These symptoms (in most cases mild) appear gradually. Generally, most patients (around 80 percent) recover from the disease without being hospitalized.

Advice

Measures adopted by local authorities evolve quickly and are usually effective immediately. Depending on the evolution of the outbreak in other countries, authorities are likely to modify, at very short notice, the list of countries whose travelers are subject to border control measures or entry restrictions upon their arrival to the territory in question. It is advised to postpone nonessential travel due to the risk that travelers may be refused entry or be subject to quarantine upon their arrival or during their stay.

To reduce the risk of transmission, travelers are advised to abide by the following measures:

• Frequently clean hands by applying an alcohol-based hand rub or washing with soap and water.
• When coughing and sneezing, cover mouth and nose with a flexed elbow or tissue; if used, throw the tissue away immediately and wash hands.
• If experiencing a fever, cough, difficulty breathing, or any other symptoms suggestive of respiratory illness, including pneumonia, call emergency services before going to the doctor or hospital to prevent the potential spread of the disease.