By Mustapha Jallow
The National Council for Civic Education (NCCE) has on Friday concluded a massive awareness raising campaign on COVID-19 and distribution of face masks amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Speaking during the sensitisation, Mr. Yusupha Bojang, Programme Manager of NCCE, said the intervention was in the context of the recent unprecedented surge of COVID-19 confirmed cases and related fatalities mainly through community transmission, and the persistent denial of the existence of the virus and reluctance by some segments of the population to adhere to the WHO precautionary etiquette as well as Government regulatory measures under Regulation No. 6’ of the Public Health (Dangerous and Infectious Diseases) Protection Regulation 2020, which among others include the mandatory wearing of face mask and the prohibition of non essential public gatherings, as well as the curfew regulation.
The nationwide awareness campaign which took the form of a Caravan procession and Radio talk-shows alongside distribution of face masks to vulnerable communities and frontline workers started on the 12th August, 2020 in Banjul and KMC, and terminated on the 21st August, 2020 in Passamas in Wuli East and Garawol in Kantora, Upper River River.
Two teams of campaigners were deployed, covering the two banks of the river simultaneously; one in the North Bank and the other in the South Bank.
But according to Mr Bojang, the exercise was aimed at raising awareness about the signs and symptoms of COVID-19, WHO preventive etiquette and the government regulatory measures to contain and manage the spread of the Coronavirus.
However, the beneficial communities and institutions expressed appreciation to the NCCE for their unrelenting effort in the fight against COVID-19 through vigorous sensitization and provision of essential protective tools such as sanitary materials and face mask to vulnerable communities and frontline workers.
