Monrovia, Liberia – President George Manneh Weah has made a passionate plea with retired health workers to avail themselves and join those at the frontline of combating the coronavirus in Liberia.
The President’s plea comes on the back of a massive rise in the number of new cases of COVID-19 reported by Health Authorities in Liberia on Wednesday.
In a nationwide address on Wednesday, the Liberian Leader singled out current health workers and those involved in the covid-19 fight for special praise while at the same time encouraging former health workers to come out of retirement and help safe the nation from the scourge of the deadly Coronavirus.
“Let me now take this opportunity to give thanks and appreciation to our brave health workers, including doctors and nurses and all other persons involved in the fight against this deadly disease. Your courage, your dedication, and your professionalism inspire us all.
In this regard, I would like to call on all retired health workers in Liberia, to join hands with your counterparts to reinforce our capabilities and strengths to fight COVID-19, with your vast experience and expertise. We need all hands on deck at this time” President Weah pleaded.
The Liberian Chief Executive also reiterated his call on Liberians to continue to abide by all health protocols put in place by the health authorities, ‘even under the most difficult of circumstances’.
Said President Weah “We have to ask ourselves why we should abide by these measures. The answer is so simple: to save lives. Remember, the life you save may be your own, or mine”.
According to President Weah, it is about time Liberians learn and use the experience from the Ebola crisis to put things right, adding “We all will have to give up certain freedoms for the time-being, until we can get through this. That is why we have found it necessary to declare this State of Emergency. Stay at home and be safe”.
Dr. Weah did not leave out Political parties, religious leaders, civil society and other pressure groups when he sounded his rally call for all to join hands in the country’s fight against COVID-19.
“In the meantime, I would like to call upon all our political and religious leaders, social media groups, students, teachers, civil society and the general citizenry to join us in this fight against Corona. We are all in this together as Liberians, regardless of your political affiliation or religion. We must therefore come together as ONE PEOPLE at this critical time of peril for our Nation” the President further urged.
He wants Liberians and foreign residents in the country to make legitimate use of their talents and social media platforms to educate the people on the basic hygiene and social distance practices that can ‘keep them safe, and to encourage them to abide by the laws and regulations’.
President Weah concluded his address by saying “we can defeat this virus if we all commit ourselves to respecting all the measures that have been outlined. If we are undisciplined, we will be the cause for it to spread. But if we behave properly, and observe all regulations and health measures, we can also be the cure that will stop Corona in our country”.
Earlier in the nationwide address, President Weah declared a three week State of Emergency in Liberia which is expected to take effect on Friday April 10, 2020 at 11:59pm.
The declaration though, must be approved by the National Legislature when they meet later on Thursday April 9, 2020.
In line with the constitution, the Legislature must meet in a joint session, discuss and pass a joint resolution granting the State of Emergency declared by the President.
