COVID-19 pandemic in Gambia | |
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Disease | COVID-19 |
Virus strain | SARS-CoV-2 |
Location | The Gambia |
First outbreak | Wuhan, China |
Index case | Banjul |
Arrival date | 17 March 2020 (4 years, 2 months, 3 weeks and 4 days) |
Confirmed cases | 12,627[1] (updated 11 Jun 2024) |
Deaths | 372[1] (updated 11 Jun 2024) |
Vaccinations | Updated 11 Jun 2024:
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The COVID-19 pandemic in The Gambia was a part of the worldwide pandemicofcoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The virus was confirmed to have reached The Gambia in March 2020.
The largest hospital in the Gambia is Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital (EFSTH), which is a tertiary referral hospital in the capital city Banjul. In 2012 it was reported that there were three other tertiary hospitals, 38 health centres, and 492 primary health posts. The leading causes of mortality in the country are malaria and tuberculosis.[2] There are two medical schools in the country, at the University of the Gambia and the American International University West Africa,[3] as well as MRC Unit The Gambia, formerly run by the United Kingdom's Medical Research Council, and now run by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.[4] Political health leadership is provided by the Minister of Health and Social Care, who is currently Ahmadou Lamin Samateh, the former Chief Medical Director of EFSTH.[5]
According to the National Health Sector Strategy Plan 2014–2020, disease control and prevention in The Gambia is the responsibility of Epidemiology and Disease Control (EDC). EDC is the focal point for integrated disease surveillance and response (IDSR). It emphasises notifiable diseases and diseases of epidemic potential.[6]
On 31 December 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) was informed of a cluster of pneumonia cases of an unknown cause in the city of Wuhan, China. This outbreak was declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) on 30 January 2020, and in turn was characterised as a pandemic by the WHO from 11 March.[7]
Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. There is more info on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org.
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Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. There is more info on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org.
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Overseas travel by public officials was suspended by a circular issued by President Adama Barrow on 13 March.[49] Barrow ordered all universities to close and for all gatherings to cease on 17 March.[50] On 18 March, sessions of the National Assembly and hearings for the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission were suspended.[50] Also on 18 March 2020, President Adama Barrow closed schools and prohibited gatherings.[51] Flights from 13 countries were suspended on 19 March. Passengers arriving from a further 47 countries would have to undergo a mandatory 14-day quarantine.[52] Football games were cancelled.[53][54]
The only facility with capacity for COVID-19 testing in the country is MRC Unit The Gambia. According to their website, testing is arranged by appointment only, organised through a Ministry of Health specialist phone number.[55]
The governments of The Gambia and its sole neighbor, Senegal, agreed to close their border for 21 days starting 23 March, with exceptions for "essential services" and transporting food and medicine. The Gambia's airspace was also closed, with exceptions for medical flights and transporting goods.[56] Health minister Ahmadou Lamin Samateh acknowledged that enforcing the border closure was challenging, but said that the closure was important for fighting COVID-19.[57]
On 27 March, President Adama Barrow declared a state of emergency, ordering closure of places of worship and non-essential businesses, prohibiting gatherings of more than 10 people and limiting passengers on public transportation.[58]
On 28 March, the Jack Ma and Alibaba Foundations donated test kits and personal protective equipment to the Gambia to help fight the pandemic.[59]
As of 30 March, business-people were being arrested for price gouging.[60]
The tourism industry was affected by the pandemic, causing hardship for Gambians who depend on tourism for their incomes. Many restaurants and hotels were closed, with only a few hotels remaining open for tourists stranded by travel restrictions.[61]