Gambian Health minister, Dr. Ahmadou Lamin Samateh, announced Sunday on state media the first Coronavirus death case in the country.
According to the minister, the Bangladeshi man came to The Gambia from Senegal on March 13th 2020 as a preacher. He was in six other countries where he was carrying out similar preaching. He was a known diabetic who presented at a health facility. The 70-year-old man was later referred to the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital and he passed away in the ambulance before arrival on the 20th March 2020.
The man who was engaged in preaching Islam at a most in Bundung, in the Kanifing Municipality had interacted with many people.
The minister therefore warned that all those who had contact with the deceased to report to the hospital or face arrest.
“Active contact tracing is already ongoing, and we urge all people, who interacted with the said person to call 1025 for further advise,” Samateh said.
He added that the government would also contact the other (six) countries that the late Bangladesh national had visited before his death.
Some 124 persons suspected of the virus are currently being quarantined. The country registered its first Covid-29 case on March 17. The first patient is a young woman who had recently travelled from the United Kingdom. The deceased man was the second case reported in The Gambia.
EJ/Dng/APA