Kwebanna lockdown meant to pinpoint COVID-19 cases

The decision to institute a 14-day lockdown at Kwebanna, Barima-Waini (Region One) was taken to ensure there is enough time for COVID-19 infected persons to display symptoms so they could be treated.

Symptoms appear on an average of five to six days or up to 14 days after infection.

Minister, Hon. Dr. Frank Anthony, said the lockdown, which began Sunday, was a joint decision of the Regional Task Force and community leaders following the recent spike in COVID-19 cases there.

“We have seen over the last few weeks, an increase in cases in Region One, overall. So, you can see that’s an unusually high number for one single area and based on the information that we have now gathered, we decided that we were going to have a lockdown,” Minister Anthony said during today’s COVID-19 Update.

With more than adequate health personnel on the ground, the Minister said the team has set up a field outpost to contain the disease.

“They have doctors on the ground, Environmental Health Officers; they have made two teams. You have about 900 people living in Kwebanna and they are going house-to-house, talking to people, educating and also doing some level of sanitisation for those 53 persons who are currently active cases. We have isolated them all.”

Dr. Anthony explained that persons who require quarantine would be isolated in one of the public buildings or be taken to Santa Rosa, where a facility has been set up to administer treatment.

The Government is monitoring positive cases to detect and treat persons whose symptoms may worsen, necessitating the need for respiratory support.

The National COVID-19 Task Force, Regional Chairman and RDC are ensuring the community is provided with adequate food supplies during the lockdown.