Sierra Leone: President Julius Maada Quarantines After Guard Tests Coronavirus Positive

Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio is currently in self-isolation for 14 days as a precautionary measure after one of his bodyguards tested positive for COVID-19, reported Africa News. President Bio made the revelation to the nation in a televised address.

 “The EOC is testing all contacts of one of my security staff who had been in a 14-day quarantine and has tested positive for #COVIDー19. My government will continue to be transparent and urges citizens to protect themselves by following all hygiene and other protocols,” the president posted on Twitter.

According to the president’s spokesperson, he will be working from home during the period. He assured the people that no one in the household of the first family had, however, shown any symptoms related to the virus.

Sierra Leone recorded its first case of the new coronavirus. The country has reported 43 positive coronavirus cases as of Tuesday, April 21, with six recoveries and no deaths. Eight coronavirus cases were confirmed on Monday.

The government authorities had announced a three-day nationwide lockdown earlier this month as a containment measure against the spread of the deadly virus.

Sierra Leone was badly hit by the 2014-2016 West African Ebola crisis, which killed almost 4,000 people in Sierra Leone.

President Maada Bio is the second known African leader to self-isolate, the first being Botswana president Eric Masisi who self-isolated after attending an inauguration ceremony in Namibia. At the time his country was uninfected while Namibia had recorded three cases.

Some other African presidents were also made to go through the tests with all of them having tested negative. South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa, Nigeria’s Muhammadu Buhari, and Ghana’s Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo have all tested negative.

South Africa has reported the highest number of coronavirus cases in Africa, with 3,465 confirmed cases, 58 deaths, and 1,055 recoveries.