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Sierra Leone

UNICEF Sierra Leone COVID-19 Situation Report No 12, 1 – 31 December 2020

Situation Report
Source
Posted
Originally published

Situation Overview

As of 31 December 2020, in Sierra Leone, there were 2,611 confirmed COVID-19 cases, 76 deaths and 1,892 recoveries. Fifty-four cases were in COVID-19 designated treatment centers. Health workers account for 9.1 per cent of all cases – a reduction of 0.6 per cent from the previous situation report.

The overall case fatality rate (CFR) decreased to 2.9 per cent of all cases compared to the previous situation report and remained at 15.3 per cent for those 60 years of age and older. A total of 90,202 COVID-19 tests were conducted (11.77 per 1,000 people).

Western Area Urban and Western Area Rural districts, comprising the capital Freetown, made up 62.2 per cent of all cases reported nationally. Other districts with relatively high attack rates include Kenema (4.8%), Port Loko (4.6%) and Bo (4.3%).

UNICEF Highlights

  • UNICEF, together with the World Health Organisation (WHO), World Bank and Gavi continued to support the MoHS in the COVAX application process, including drafting of a COVID-19 vaccine deployment plan and rapid inventory taking of cold chain equipment

  • UNICEF supported the MBSSE to provide training for 50 headteachers and 60 master trainers on administrative functions, including COVID-19 awareness and prevention messages.

  • UNICEF supported the Inter Religious Council of Sierra Leone (IRCSL) in the dissemination of key messages on GBV, teenage pregnancy, and child marriage, which reached a total of 80,190 individuals through its advocacy interventions.

  • Payments under the COVID-19 Social Safety Net (SSN) programme began in December in Bo District. Verification began of beneficiaries for the COVID-19 emergency cash transfer (ECT) programme for households of informal workers in urban areas, with payments expected in early 2021. Both exercises involve the Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM) Community Monitors who were trained with UNICEF support on recording of grievances, psycho-social first aid and GBV reporting pathways in November 2020.

  • UNICEF has completed the distribution of WASH/IPC supplies to households in at-risk villages/communities. A total of 2800 household kits were distributed in December, giving a cumulative total of 4000 household beneficiaries (20,000 people) in vulnerable communities across five districts.

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