The Gambia’s Ministry of Health has deployed health officials at the Banjul International airport and other ports of entry as part of its preventive measures to screen passengers for the coronavirus. 

The ministry’s deployment comes after neighbouring Senegal confirmed its first coronavirus case. A French national in Senegal tested positive for the coronavirus virus.

The deadly virus which emerged in China last year has so far claimed thousands of lives and infected tens of thousands of people in several countries around the world. According to the WHO, 80,000 cases has so far been registered of the virus.

And the Ministry of Health on Monday convened an emergency news conference to highlight some of their preventive measures against the deadly virus in The Gambia as they announced steps being taken to prevent the Gambian people. It said it had deployed eleven health officials at the country’s airport as screeners. The ministry also announced extending such measures to every border post in the country.

Sanna Sambou coordinator of Epidemiology and Disease Control told journalists at the press conferee: “we almost have eleven people assigned for the airport alone likewise all the other border posts have been supplied with health materials and equipment to be able to continue with what they are doing.”

“At our points of entries : the borders, the airport and seaport are very key here because we expected coronavirus to be imported via the airport, So, this is why we are doing everything possible effort to make sure we strengthen the airport as much as possible.”

According to him, “the virus is widely expected to spread easily through airports as ban on international travel has not yet been affected by the country”, adding “the best method is to improve personal hygiene and good sanitation”.

Reporting by Adama Makasuba