22. August 2020 – Gambia is facing many problems during the global pandemic. In an letter to Adama Barrow and the government, civil society formations and health care workers are criticising the role of the president and his government and demanding, amongst others things, protection equipment for healthcare workers and drugs for treatment facilities.

At least seven prominent civil society organizations had penned an open letter to Adama Barrow on Friday 7 August 2020, urging him “to show leadership” at a time when the populace is experiencing a pandemic, which has brought untold misery, destruction of lives and livelihoods to hundreds of thousands. This is further compounded with runaway infection rates, a broken health system and a devastated economy.

The CSOs urge the President to appear before the nation and give an account as to the next steps to be taken by government in dealing with this stage of the pandemic. Barrow, who had not been seen in public for almost one month, even though he is said to have tested negative for COVID-19, but was self-isolating. COVID-19 cases have since surged massively since July. 

At least two hundred healthcare workers have been infected, and there is still an uptick of Covid-19 among healthcare workers. The infections, and possibly the deaths, could have been prevented had the staff been adequately protected, and had the working conditions been conducive to shield them from fatigue, and unnecessary exposure in the line of duty. It is reported that more than 20% of the doctors have been infected. Gambia has about 200 doctors. Gambia’s health system is on the brink of collapse.

But the Government denies its wrong-doings. “President Adama Barrow’s deputy political adviser has lambasted civil society organisations for their “insensitive comments” against the Gambian leader”, a report by The Standard tells. Instead of admitting the mistakes in the management of the health-crisis, Dou Sanno is demanding from the civil society not to criticise (wrong) politics:

“I want to advise civil society to stop abusing the democratic space. They should also be fair and stop being one-sided in their criticisms. It is disappointing that they only direct their criticism to the president.”

An activists response is educating Dou Sanno about the role of CSOs and activists:

“First of all, let me put it to Dou that in the wake of the Corona various, CSOs and activists were the first to launch public sensitization as well as provision of hand sanitizers and hand washing materials to members of the general public. Well before President Barrow issued his first state of public emergency on 18 March 2020, it was CSOs and activists who rushed to social media asking the Government to close the borders. Today every and any good action that this Government does right one will find that CSOs and activists have already advised them to do so but they refused until it is too late.”

On Friday, 14th of August Barrow followed “mounting calls by opposition parties and civil society groups for him to speak to the nation as it faces its worst health crisis in living memory” (Gambiana). The presidents talk contains nothing new, beside information about new preventive and repressive measures – which were already changed by now. The president urged the people to follow the introductions given by experts and the law, to slow down the spread of the virus. Some excerpts from Barrow’s address to the people:

“Health Experts have suggested that these numbers can be minimised if we work together as a people; that is, as government authorities, experts, frontline personnel, household members and individuals. (…) In one way or another, we are all affected by the global Coronavirus pandemic.” (…)
“It is obvious that we will make a positive difference towards the development of our country if we value the time we spend and do good. Importantly too, we can maintain peace and stability in the country, if we are honest, truthful and sincere, and treat everyone as an equal. That is why my government chooses dialogue and observing the rule of law, noting that The Gambia belongs to all of us. Through dialogue and respect for each other, we can achieve our development aspirations.” (…)
“While Civic Education groups and the media sensitise the public, families, neighbours and friends have the civic and moral obligation to enlighten one another on the messages from the experts, the regulations and their implications.”

Up till today President Barrow never responded to the personal addresses directed to him as responsible head of state. Contrary to his word, Barrow promised help for the people, but the people cannot wait for his dummy instruction. At once corruption is growing as prices skyrocket and there is no income for many. How can they follow the introductions given by experts and the law? Many people have to go out to cover their needs.

“Self-isolation cannot be an excuse for inaction, and [being] missing in action. There is technology that can be used to communicate; in fact, that is now the norm, given the circumstances. Aside from the health crisis, we are now faced with an economic; political; social; and possible security crisis. Barrow has not shown, nor taken any initiative to even attempt to take the country into his confidence and this attitude is no longer tolerable”, one of the campaigners said in the press release form 11th of August.

Still many businesses are running, but almost everybody is affected by the side-effects of Covid-19. The economy has taken a battering, as the unemployment rate in the seasonal sectors, like the hospitality industry, and other mainstream sectors like small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have been shaken to the core. Lives and livelihoods have been destroyed, as poverty rates have spiraled out of control.

“We feel that the state of emergency is being politicised. We believe failure to follow health guide lines is responsible for the surge in Covid-19 cases. A law should be respected by everyone or else it will be useless,” the Manding Network Association, formed to tackle the issues of tribalism, said to Gambiana.

Without giving the people any answer on: how to survive, the government continued to shut down the country. Further 90 days of state of public emergency was imposed: Worship places, schools and non-essential public places are closed. Public gatherings are prohibited and the wearing of face masks compulsory. A proclamation closing the country’s borders and airspace amid a rise in coronavirus cases was announced on 5th of August. A night curfew for 21 days from 10pm to 5am, starting Thursday 6th of August, is currently in effect.

The public state of emergency might help to slow down the spread of Covid-19. At the same time it increases the problems of everyday living. What to do?

Urgent action is needed to solve the problems of the people. Urgent action is needed to strengthen the healthcare system. Urgent action is needed to equip healthcare workers with essential protection equipment and knowledge on how to cope with the pandemic. Necessary medication should be available at treatment facilities. And last but not least: Resources should be provided transparently.

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Sources:

This article is based on the press release from Civil Society Organisations from August 11, 2020, updated and supplemented with information from several media reports.

The statements from the CSOs:

• Gambia: Citizens escalate matters to National Assembly Members – to reconvene and show urgent action and leadership in combating COVID-19; Press release from Civil Society Organisations, August 11, 2020
• A Call to Duty in the Face of National Disaster; Letter to the NAMs, August 10, 2020.
• Request for urgent action and leadership in combating COVID-19; Healthcare Workers Solidarity letter by CSOs, August 8, 2020.

The response by the President:

• From insisting national interest underpins his addresses to warning Gambians against breaking the curfew, the full text of President Barrow’s address to the nation, Fatu Network, August 14, 2020
• President Adama Barrow’s 6th address the nation, by Eyeafrica TV @ Youtube

Recommended readings:

• Corona, The Gambia and the Millions. Tracking funds for Covid-19 crisis in The Gambia; Report by Gambia Participate, May 2020.
• Covid 19: Gambia’s health system on the brink of collapse; an investigation published by Malagen on August 13, 2020.
• Educating Dou Sanno about the Role of CSOs and Activists; published by The Fatu Network, August 13, 2020.
• The Untold Stories of Street Boys during the Pandemic, publisheb by Foroyaa; August 17, 2020.
• COVID 19 Pandemic: The Gambia On The Brink?; published by The Point, August 17, 2020

16. August 2020 – It was a question of time until the local transmission will start in The Gambia. During July 2020, more and more cases of Covid-19 were reported. While end of June a total number of 49 Covid-19 cases were detected, in the following 6 weeks the official cases were multiplied by more then 30 times. How did the situation get out of control?

The start of local transmission

Let’s have a look to the Covid-19 situation reports provided by the ministry of health:

The report from 4th & 5th of July 2020 informed about the dead of a health worker. He was working in the Polyclinic in Banjul. Till now sporadic – mostly “imported” – cases of Covid 19 were registered in Gambia, but from now on, new cases were detected on a daily basis. That the local transmission started was clear at the latest, when the situation report from 9th to 15th July 2020 confirmed 14 new cases occurred over a 7-day span, bringing the total number of Covid-19 cases in Gambia to 78. Out of this 14 new infections 11 were locally transmitted, among them 8 healthcare workers at the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital (EFSTH) in Banjul. Nearly one month later, on 13th August, Gambia counts 1689 confirmed cases and 54 deaths. The government write about the “Existence of pervasive community transmission of Covid-19 in the country, especially in Western 1 and 2 Health Regions”.

Failed policies – the way it won’t work

About four months of lockdown made the people tired. After the first case of Covid-19 was detected in Gambia in March 2020, people seemed to take it seriously. In many places people found the possibility to wash their hands with soap and water, all shools were closed, movement was restricted, “non-essential” businesses were shut down; like restaurants, bars, video-clubs, beaches, gyms and many more. The restrictions changed from time to time, like the order to reduce the passengers in public vehicles, the opening of places of warship, or the mandatory use of face masks amongst others.

Besides that, the government said it would help the people in need. But as the water runs down the river Gambia, the promises disappeared like letters in the sand during high tide. The hand-washing facilities, which were numerous around the markets and shops in the Greater Banjul Area, disappeared too. The people were not able to adjust to preventive measures. As far it is difficult for people to have the necesarry access to water and soap, it is hard for them to wash their hands. But that people cannot stop shaking hands, this is different and let us say it arises from pure irrationality.

The government negligence is a chase after an illusion: Can a country be saved by closed borders – from a virus, which knows no borders? Whoever can see the discrepancy in it, will understand that we are dealing with a global pandemic, which hits almost every place on earth more or less. We hear about rising numbers in America, and that in Europe the situation is improving, while people there are fearing a “second wave”.

Dealing with a global pandemic

When people in Gambia are scared that the virus could have been brought in by travelers from abroad, why can’t they see that it is all around? All around the world as well as all around West-Africa, the virus is spreading. The governments are taking different measures to deal with the problem. Mostly it break unprepared countries and health systems, with different consequences.

In Gambia, the government and its health authorities had four months to prepare the infrastructure for the start of local transmission. It had four months to equip health care workers with personal protection equipment. The government had four months time to lead through required testing. And it had four months to provide the people with essential information about the dangers of a fast rise of infections and communicate the necessity of preventive measures to reduce harm for the society, especially for vulnerable people. At this point we have to make it clear:

The government failed. It made the people believe that the virus will not reach the country – while it was already here. Now it is the government itself, beside many others, which met up with the virus. The infected ministers and celebrities will get the best treatment, for them it is not a problem to isolate themselves in their posh houses, while many people cannot sleep – hit by rain through porous roofs and hearing the outcries of a hungry belly.

The government was not listening to the needs of the people. The government was not taking the preparation of the health system seriously as required. A further spread of the virus could collapse the country’s fragile health care system. Many health care workers, doctors and nurses, laboratorians and further staff are infected and quarantined during this critical phase. Did they have the necessary personal protection equipment? The answer is: no!

Back into the past

“Let us be honest and frank to each other! Everybody in this country, unless you want to bypass the truth, but the rise in cases in the country is caused by government negligence.”

This opinion published by Gambiana on July 29, 2020, is complaining the opening of the airspace and the temporal suspension of “the state of public emergency at a time Gambia needs stringent lockdown”. Let’s ask: is 4 months of lockdown without noticed local transmission oversized?

At the time, when the local transmission was detected, many people were tired of the so called “state of emergency”. It was long time, to lift the regulations, as the parliament identified and decided not to agree with the continuation of the lockdown. The president, empowered by the 1997 constitution, fall back on to this relict of 22 years dictatorship – and extended the shutdown by the conferred constitutional powers. Never again? Like the soldiers which are employed to enforce the nightly curfew?

“The police have launched an operation dubbed Operation Safe our Soul to curtail the further spread of covid-19 in the Gambia. The operation involves the enforcement of all regulations formulated by the Gambia Government to curb the spread of the Coronavirus in the country.”

Reports of police harassment are making their rounds, and this is no wonder, until now the police is still not accepting people’s and humans rights as well as people’s lives. Beatings, stealing of money, torture, entering peoples houses by force, … all this is still happening. And the government, which should be aware of that, is giving their security forces more power to disturb people.

“The Anti-Crime should not come to our homes. The police found my son sitting at our compound square browsing with his phone and they chased him inside our house. They wanted to take him, but his brother who is also a security personnel intervened and he was released”, a resident of Sukuta told Foroyaa.

The wrong direction

“Mismanagement of funds and slow response to the outbreak will put The Gambia in a high risk of medical crisis where many could lose their lives.” Corona, The Gambia and the Millions. Report by Gambia Participate, May 2020.

While corruption is increasing and millions and millions disappear, people are harassed and hunted by security forces. Many people caught by police were presented in the media, which is a violation of peoples privacy and personal rights. Further more, security forces are not respecting physical distance of the detainees; pictures in the media show police officers during their operations without wearing a face mask. Police forces executing a law, without respecting it by themselves.

On the 6th of August, a night curfew from 10pm to 5am get into effect for 21 days. In the first 3 nights of the curfew, more then 200 people were arrested. This could lead to a fine of D5,000 or in default to serve one year imprisonment with hard labour! Something seems to be headed in the wrong direction.

To be aware

The world is not dealing with a security issue, not dealing with a war. We are dealing with the pandemic spread of the novel coronavirus. The world is dealing with health care issues. The world needs collective response – to slow down the spread of Covid-19.

People cannot sit at home while dying of hunger, they need a way to survive. What can the government, as servants of the people, offer them? Rice, oil and sugar – in case it reach the beneficiaries – cannot satisfy all the essential needs. But when promises are never settled, how can the people take dummy instructions serious?

In our opinion, collective response means not forcing people to bear misery. A collective response needs first of all solidarity. The people need the possibilities to participate in preventive measures. The people need to cooperate and stand together in the fight against Corona.

It is easy to say. But how can this be put into effect – with consent or force?

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Further Readings:

• Covid 19: Gambia’s health system on the brink of collapse — an investigation published by Malagen on August 13, 2020
• Corona, The Gambia and the Millions. Tracking funds for Covid-19 crisis in The Gambia, Report by Gambia Participate, May 2020
• People Urged To Report Alleged Violations by the Anti-Crime Unit, published by Foroyaa on August 11, 2020
• The Untold Stories of Street Boys during the Pandemic, published by Foroyaa, August 17, 2020
• COVID 19 Pandemic: The Gambia On The Brink?, published by The Point, August 17, 2020

21 April 2020 – On 19th April 2020 Gambia registered a new case of Coronavirus, bringing the number of active cases to seven, while two have recovered and one person died. There were 362 samples tested from 337 suspected cases so far.

Since president Barrow declared the public state of emergency on 27th March, the National Assembly extended the state of emergency on 3rd April by 45 days as part of measures to curb the spread of the Coronavirus in The Gambia.

But people are not taking the Government’s declaration seriously, and they are mingling as usual. Many people would ask “how are we going to survive if we stay at home?” The market vendors were allowed to open in the early hours of the morning and close by 6pm but after registering more cases of COVID-19 the markets started closing by 2pm. Beside restrictions on the markets and businesses, there was a regulation on public transportation.

On Friday, 17th of April, the measures relating to the state of emergency were modified, now shops selling food items are allowed to open till 1pm, and from 2pm til 6pm, shops selling non-food items are allowed to open.

The markets are full because of the coming of Ramadan, which is why people are busy shopping for essential items. Being 96% Muslims this is indeed a very disruptive season and a bad time to enforce physical distancing (aka social distancing).

Since the state of public emergency was declared, it can be observed that many shops are open around the country. As time passes, it seems people are not taking it to a be global fact, believing that the Coronavirus is not in the country, that it is not true or that it’s just based on politics. Some people are forced to go out to find basic needs, whiles others just ignore that the virus can infect anyone.

The Gambia has so far 10 recorded cases out of which 2 recovered, 1 died and 7 active cases who are currently hospitalized. Two cases out of this were locally transmitted. This is after many people left quarantine not showing any symptoms. Meanwhile there are still 90 people under quarantine under government supervision.

Reports says that the Gambia will have three thousand hospitalizations and 181,000 COVID-19 infected cases around June to July if the people continue to ignore the physical distancing measures provided by health officials. But how they can do so if they don’t have any support? The state should provide sanitizers, face masks and food for the people. Without food in the house, people can’t stay home!

But even they stay at home, people have to learn lessons that would enable them to internalize the culture of washing hands, restricting handshakes and keeping a safe space when relating to others. These measures would empower people to join the fight to prevent COVID-19 from spreading.

“First of all, what will make the difference in slowing down the epidemic is a change in individual attitudes: the respect for the 1.5-metre physical distance we are told about and the application of basic individual hygiene measures.” Doctors Without Borders, MSF UK

More on the spread of the Coronavirus in West Africa:

• MRC, 2 April 2020: Urgent Action Needed to Control Further Spread of COVID-19 in West Africa
• MSF UK, 31 Mar 2020: From Ebola to COVID-19: West Africa must learn from the past and protect vulnerable people

12 April 2020 – On 17th of March 2020 the first case tested positive of COVID-19 in The Gambia. One of the first reactions by the authorities was the closure of schools. This was easy to manage by the government, because it doesn’t effect the economy. As soon as the tourism industry stopped running, many people lost their income from one day to the next.

Until 22nd March two more persons tested positive. One of them died on the way to the hospital on 20th March. On 27th of March a state of public emergency was declared by President Barrow throughout The Gambia.

Since the fourth case was tested positive on 28th March, no more cases were tested positive ’til 11th April. While two of the infected patients recovered on 1st April, many people started saying, there is no Coronavirus in the country. There was only one active case left, while some 200 people was tested negative so far.

This changed on the 11th of April. Out of 79 new suspected cases tested, five samples were confirmed positive by the Ministry of Health. The country’s COVID-19 cases now stands at nine. It’s important to mention, that four of the new cases regards to young people in their twenties.

Since the COVID-19 outbreak in The Gambia, especially many young people didn’t take it serious, because they think, corona cannot harm them. They also ignore the fact, that it is them, who can transmit the virus to their parents and grandparents, to older people who are more vulnerable to COVID-19.

Hopefully people who didn’t want to realize that the virus is already around them, start realizing; it is not over. It’s expected that it just started…

Hopefully people will take notice of the spread of the virus and introduce the known preventive measures in their personal lives to reduce the spread of COVID-19.