The Gambian government has suspended weekly open markets locally called “Loumoo” as part of containment measures of the Covid-19.
It comes less than 24 hours after the country confirmed its first case of the deadly virus. A Gambian lady who flew to Banjul from the United Kingdom on Sunday test positive for the respiratory disease.
Security forces on Wednesday morning dispersed buyers and sellers at Kerr Pateh Village Market, located along the country’s northern border with Senegal.
Vehicles and horsecarts from different Gambian communities in the area and neibouring Senegal were stopped on their way to the market by the police enforcing the ban on public gatherings.
“The police stopped me and others and asked us to go back, as the market would not hold today due the Coronavirus outbreak,” one Musa Camara told APA.
The Gambian President Tuesday announced a temporal banned on public gatherings including schools and the main university in a bid to prevent spread of the Covid-19.
Surveillance teams have been deployed at all major entry points into the country, which still remain open.
The Ministry of Health said, the country was ready to deal with eventual cases of the virus. It said, the main isolation Centre in Banjul has been fitted necessary tools to keep patients while the internationally Medical Research Council is being use to test the virus.
EJ/abj/APA