THE HOT PEPPER welcomes the Ministry of Health’s announcement of the revised set of national health emergency guidelines, in keeping with the health emergency declared on March 21, 2020, pursuant to Chapter 14 of the Public Health Law of Liberia, due to the increasing cases and deaths from the Coronavirus disease in Liberia and given the knowledge about the spread of the virus in the communities, its modes of transmission and means of prevention.
UNDER THE NEW Ministry of Health disclosure, the MOH has designated all 15 counties of the Republic of Liberia as affected areas, in which the following rules and regulations must apply immediately and remain in effect until otherwise modified. The ministry updates the declaration based on the prevailing situation in the COVID-19 response.
IN THE MINISTRY’S effort to contain the disease, all persons shall strictly follow and abide by all health protocols to protect against the spread of COVID-19 in Liberia, which include wearing a face mask covering both the nose and mouth at all times when in public place and when attending to sick persons. Social physical distancing of a minimum of three (3) feet from each other at all times is imposed. Mandatory hand washing with soap and clean water or alcohol-based hand sanitizer is ordered. Community dwellers are asked to please report people who show signs and symptoms of the Coronavirus, such as coughing, fever and difficulty breathing in their communities to relevant health and security authorities by calling 4455.
THE MINISTRY OF Health made it clear that all citizens, residents and visitors are required to abide by these rules, and violation will be dealt with, in keeping with Section 14.6 of the Public Health Law: “Any person who violates any of the provisions of this chapter or any of the rules made thereunder shall, upon conviction, be liable to a fine not exceeding two hundred dollars or to imprisonment not exceeding thirty days, or to both such fine and imprisonment.” The ministry emphasized that the mandatory mask-wearing applies to all persons, including public officials.
