Hope is said to be restoring in many Liberian tailors and seamstress as locally produced nose masks intended to curb the spread of the deadly Coronavirus has been wildly recognized by health authorities in the country.
unlike in the past local tailors use to generate more money from the sewing of clothes for Churches and other regular and basic functions including occasions but due to restriction on movement of people and other activities in the COVID-19 crisis, people are no longer sewing huge numbers.
As the coronavirus pandemic continues across the globe including in Liberia, local tailor shops have now switched their intention from sewing of basic clothing and are now sewing nose masks to prevent COVID-19.
Epidemiologists say one way to cut the transmission of CORONAVIRUS is to use nose mask in the public
Recently the Liberian legislature announced the introduction of compulsory using of nose masks in the public places as a means of curbing the human-to-human transmission of the CORONAVIRUS since social distancing is not fully been obeyed by many people.
Imported nose masks are said to be in limited quality at such the local made nose mask could help substitute.
Liberia’s Health Minister Dr. Wilhelmina Jallah told a news conference earlier this week that it is now a difficult task for people on the continent of Africa and Liberia as a whole to abide by the social distancing health protocol as such the wearing of masks will now be a must especially in public places in Liberia.
“This will help reduce the mode of transmission”, she adds.
African Lappa design
In some places, the masks are well designed with African lappa of different colors and sizes with ropes for the holding and are sold for around LD $50.00 and above.
Many Liberians cannot afford the imported nose mask that is some time sold around LRD$250.00 (US$1.35) and prefer the less price locally made which is sold around LRD$50.00 (US$0.25).
Many youth between the ages of 18-25 can be mainly seen on the streets of Monrovia trading the locally made nose mask and are being purchased by many low income earners.
To date, Liberia has 101 confirmed cases of the deadly Coronavirus with 8 deaths and 20 recoveries.
Over 500 contact tracing are underway to ensure that all those who one way and other came in contact with infected persons are monitored.
