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.
