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Sierra Leone

UNICEF Sierra Leone: COVID-19 Situation Report – #6, 15th June - 6th July 2020

Situation Report
Source
Posted
Originally published

Situation in Numbers

  • 1,542 COVID-19 confirmed cases

  • 62 COVID-19 deaths reported

  • 2,600,000 Children affected by COVID-19 school closures

Situation Overview

To date, a total of 1,542 people in Sierra Leone have tested positive for COVID-19 and 62 people have died. This represents a case fatality rate (CFR) of 4.0%. CFR is highest at 22% amongst cases 60 years old and above. Health care workers account for 10.2% of all positive cases. Male to female ratio of cases is roughly 1:1 whereas 58.1% of deaths are amongst males.

The COVID-19 population incidence is 19.1 cases per 100,000 with cases now present in all 16 districts across the country. Western Area districts make up 62.6% of all cases. Other districts with a significant rate of cases per population are Bo, Bonthe and Kenema.

In all, 12,685 tests have been performed to date; 8,817 contacts have been traced; and 1,531 people are currently in quarantine (both institutional and self-quarantine).

The President of Sierra Leone, H.E. Julius Maada Bio, has lifted the ban on inter-district travel for a period of two weeks. Social distancing, ban on large gatherings, use of face masks and presence of hand-washing stations in all businesses remain in effect. Meanwhile, the Government has announced the re-opening of schools from 1st July.

UNICEF Highlights

  • UNICEF continues to assist the Directorate of Primary Health Care (DPHC) to develop and plan a nation-wide training programme on continuity of services during the COVID crisis for community health workers and peripheral health unit (PHU) staff;

  • Altogether, 86 water points have now been repaired and now over 43,000 children, women and men, have access to safe water where previously they did not;

  • UNICEF has scaled up support to 59 community and six national radios with weekly interactive radio programmes to help increase community local leader voices as part of the COVID-19 response;

  • Trainings for 320 frontline personnel on psycho-social support and child protection case management to vulnerable children in quarantine, isolation, and treatment facilities has commenced under the recently approved PSS strategic framework and workplan;

  • 8,812 households of informal workers in urban areas have been reached with a social assistance transfers; and

  • Nearly 10,000 Principle teachers were engaged on exam timings when schools resume operations in July.

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