The mayor of Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC) has called for calm as the country reacts to a possible outbreak of the deadly coronavirus that has killed 3,000 people worldwide and infected thousands more. 

Neighbouring Senegal has confirmed its first case of the virus on Monday when a French national returning from a ski trip in France tested positive for the virus. 

Mayor Talib Ahmed Bensouda urged Gambians not to panic but follow advice from health officials to practice hand hygiene. 

Mr Bensouda said: “let us not be panic and there shouldn’t be panic and we shouldn’t be panicked, let us take precautional measures and improve sanitation by washing our hands with soap or detol always and cover our mouths whenever we are coughing.”

According to him, KMC has taken up precautional measures with WHO in ensuring that the virus is prevented from entering the country.  

Coronavirus which emerged in China last year has now spread to dozens of countries including African countries.

According to World Health Organisation, 80,000 cases have been registered since the outbreak of the deadly virus last year, and has declared the virus an international health emergency.

Reporting byAdama Makasuba