By Nelson Manneh
Dr. Mustapha Bittaye has yesterday informed the media that the Gambia has registered a new COVID 19 case.
The newly confirmed COVID 19 patient is a Senegalese, who came to The Gambia on the 26th April 2020 and spent a night in Farafenni, North Bank Region of The Gambia.
The newly COVID 19 patient was picked up from Farafenni on the 27th April 2020 and was taken into quarantine, where he was yesterday, tested and confirmed positive.
“A new laboratory confirmed COVID-19 case was reported. Until the latest development, the newly confirmed case (Senegalese nationality) was in quarantine on account of a recent travel history to Senegal,” Dr. Bittaye said.
Dr. Bittaye said they received twenty-four (24) laboratory tests and out of the twenty-four (24) laboratory test results one tested positive and the other twenty-three (23) were negative.
“Ten (10) new persons taken into quarantine, four (4) of whom were close contacts of the newly confirmed case, two additional low-risks contacts have been traced making the total number of people being regularly followed up to be one hundred and one. This is ongoing to ascertain manifestation of symptoms of COVID-19,” he said.
Dr. Bittaye said the country currently has ninety-nine (99) persons under quarantine, two (2) active cases and no probable case.
Globally Dr. Bittaye said, since 31st December 2019 and as of 28th April 202, a total of three million, one hundred and thirty-five thousand eight hundred and ninety-five (3, 135, 895) cases of COVID 19 have been reported. Of these, he said two hundred and seventeen thousand, seven hundred and sixty-three (217, 763) deaths were registered and nine hundred and fifty-two thousand, nine hundred and ninety (952, 990) recovered from the diseases.
“Senegal recorded eight hundred and twenty-three (823) confirmed cases, two hundred and ninety-six (296) recoveries and nine (9) deaths,” he said.
Currently Dr. Bittaye said they have ninety-nine (99) people on quarantine. A total of four hundred and eighty (480) tests were conducted and eleven (11) are positive, two hundred and ninety-seven (297) people completed quarantine, six hundred and forty-eight (648) contacts traced and three hundred and ten (310) people completed follow-ups.
On coordination Bittaye said meetings are ongoing at both the strategic and technical level.
“On logistics and safety, one thousand eight hundred repaid diagnostic test kits with pickers donated to the COVID-19 response and procurement process of additional fuel for response activities initiated,” he said.
On surveillance and laboratory, Bittaye said twenty-four laboratory tests have been received, one tested positive for COVID-19 and twenty-three were negative.
“Six new contacts traced of whom four are high-risk contacts and two are low-risk contacts,” he said.
He said that psychosocial support is regularly given to patients isolated, persons under quarantine and health workers involved.
The Ministry of Health, he said, is renewing their appeal to communities along the common borders between The Gambia and Senegal to remain vigilant and report all illegal entry or suspected activities in their areas to the nearest security post or local authority.
