By Nelson Manneh
Health authorities have on Friday 30th July 2021 indicated that twenty-one (21) COVID-19 patients are currently on oxygen therapy.
The Gambia on the same day recorded one (1) new COVID-19 related death, bringing the total number of deaths since March 2020 to two hundred and thirteen (213).
The decedent, a 72 year old man with severe COVID-19 pneumonia, died while on admission in one of the COVID-19 treatment centres.
Two hundred fifty-three (253) new cases were also registered, taking the total number of COVID-19 cases ever confirmed in the country to seven thousand, nine hundred and sixty-two (7,962).
Of the 177 cases with known reasons for testing, 88 (49.7%) tested for travelling, 46 (26%) for suspicion of COVID-19 after being sick, 11 (6.2%) contact with a confirmed case and 28 (16%) who wanted to know their COVID-19 status
The cases are composed of 136 males and 116 females with a median age of 34 years.
This is the 347th national situation report since the confirmation of the first case of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in The Gambia, on the 16th March 2020. Currently, the Gambia has no one in hotel quarantine, but has nine hundred and one active cases.
Modou Njai, the Director of Health Promotion and Education at the Ministry of Health, said a total of 1044 new laboratory test results were received from the Medical Research Council and from the National Public Health Lab.
Of these, 253 tested positive, representing a 24.2 % positivity test rate.
Thirteen (13) new COVID-19 patients were newly discharged from treatment centres, while 235 got discharged at least 10 days from the day they tested positive, but evaded institutional isolation. Eight (8) new contracts were traced and are being monitored.
