Lawmakers have unanimously rejected a government motion seeking extra 45 days of a public emergency restrictions to curb further spread of coronavirus.

The house is expected to sit over the motion again on Monday.

Justice minister Abubacarr Tambadou who tabled the motion on behalf of the government is asked “to go and do his mathematics properly and reappear” on Monday.

However opinions differed after the motion was table as dozens of lawmakers outrightly countered it.

Many of the parliamentarians suggested a 21 days earlier tabled by the house Committee on Health as they said this would give room for proper scrutiny of its ramification on the public.

The Gambia, a country home to nearly 2 million people, has been in lockdown since the deadly virus emerged in March which triggered hundreds of businesses to shutdown and left hundreds of thousands jobless.

Thousands of Gambians live below the poverty line as they live from hand-to-mouth.

Reporting by Adama Makasuba