The Gambia continues to see a sharp rise in coronavirus cases as nine people including travellers test positive for Covid-19. 

The total coronavirus cases in the country since its emergence in March 2020 is 3,885. 

The government has upgraded its travel restrictions for travellers from 31 countries including U.K. and South Africa where a variant of the coronavirus was recently discovered. 

Gambia has not yet recorded any case of the new variant.

“Three of the new cases had their samples mandatorily collected at the airport for travelling into the country without valid test results, one is epi-linked to a recent case,” the Health ministry said.

The ministry added: “The remaining 5 (57%) sought to be tested on account of being intending travellers who needed a test certificate 219 new laboratory test results received (14 from MRC and 205 from NPHL) of these, 9 new samples tested positive, representing a 4.1% test positivity rate.”

The age range for the new cases is 13 to 82 years. 

Reporting by Adama Makasuba