A COVID-19 health alert has thus been issued in the region indicating a sharp increase in COVID-19 cases with 52 deaths and 345 active cases within the region in the past three weeks.

Public health officials in the region are calling on the population to reinforce barrier measures and get themselves vaccinated in order to curb the rise of the pandemic in the South West Region.

A new strategy to test, treat and vaccinate, in addition to barrier measures, has been prescribed to the public.

The Buea Health District is most affected with 17 Covid-19 related deaths out of the 52 recorded in the region within the past three weeks.

Dr. Ngund Mathias, District Medical Officer for Buea says “the number of cases is very high. The number of deaths also. This is the first time since the beginning of this pandemic that we are having that number of deaths in a month. So, it is very serious.”

In order to prevent people from presenting with severe forms of the disease, 23 vaccination centers have been set up in all 19 health districts of the South West region.

The population is called upon to be vaccinated as the region is first from the bottom on the national vaccination chart with 3,818 persons vaccinated, representing 28.7% of the population fully vaccinated.

The vaccination campaign against COVID-19 is said to have significantly increased vaccination coverage. Sensitization campaigns on the benefits of the COVID-19 vaccines have been stepped up.

While many are hesitant to get vaccinated, they have also abandoned the barrier measures recommended by the Government and the World Health Organization. In markets, just like in places of worship and other crowded places, very few persons put on their masks properly. Physical distancing is not respected, fueling fears that the new wave of the COVID-19 pandemic could be more disastrous to the population.