By Yusupha Jobe
Gambians in all walks of life have been gripped with fear over the deadly Coronavirus after Senegal confirmed first case on Monday.
The patient is reported to be a French national who was tested positive after landing in Senegal, Senegalese local media reported.
But scores in The Gambia received the news with shock and fear as they called on the government to strengthen its control in the border entry points by testing anyone who is coming and going out of the country.
Binta Gassama, a local vendor at Serrekunad market said the first reported case of the Corona virus infection in Senegal has caused fear among lots of people. She said the current state of the country’s health care system has to be ready for the situation in order to meet all required facilities needed to protect the country from the possible infection of the virus.
“It is high time our government especially the Ministry of Health should take a proactive effort in making sure The Gambia is well protected from the virus and this can only be done by putting more protective efforts in all the entry points of the country,” she echoed.
Ismaila Jallow, a school teacher said it is high time government start to cancel flights to countries reported with Corona virus epidemic as this will first serve as a protective measure against the virus.
He asked rhetorically if the government ever cancel any flights from the confirmed countries from entering the country. “This is because the first cases of our neighboring country Senegal was a result of a man who traveled from France and tested positive with the virus upon his arrive in Senegal. Do we have health facilities to even protect ourselves from the virus as a country? This is the question we should all ask as a nation,” he said.
Former Minister of Health Omar Sey yesterday wrote in his Facebook page that “I was very worried upon hearing the first case of the corona virus infection in our neighboring country of Senegal. Gambia is a close door to Senegal so all efforts has to be in place in order to protect our people from the new killer disease.”
Senegal is right now believed to be a fourth African country with the reported case of corona virus epidemic after Algeria, Egypt and Nigeria were announced to have also confirmed with the virus in their countries.
