Health workers of The Gambia and Senegal are engaging in border surveillance at all the entry points to conduct tests on people for the prevention of the spread of coronavirus in both countries, according to Modou Njai, director of health promotion and education at the ministry of health on Wednesday.
“We are on this cross-border surveillance and making sure that whatever is happening in Senegal we are aware, whatever is also happening in Gambia they are also aware in terms of preparedness and response. This is happening at all the entry points,” he told The Chronicle.
In May, 2019, the authorities of the two countries jointly launched a synchronized initiative of mass distribution of bed nets as part of efforts to eradicate malaria in the two countries.
To avoid reinventing the wheel, Njai said they have built their coronavirus fight upon that foundation with the neighboring country.
Meanwhile, he confirmed that a Gambian citizen who was suspected to have contracted the virus in Senegal has tested negative.
He reminded people to be consistent on the outlined precautions given by the health authorities to avoid the virus. Among them is the regular washing of hands with soap and water, using alcohol-based sanitizers and to avoid touching your mouth, eyes and nose with hands.
A total of 82,464, including 78,599 in mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau confirmed cases of novel coronavirus infection including 2,807 deaths including 2,746 in China, 19 in Iran, 13 in Italy, 13 in South Korea, 3 in Japan, 2 in France and 1 each in the Philippines and Taiwan have been reported across the world as of February 27th, 2020, according to pharmaceuticaltechnology.com.
British researchers from Southampton University’s World Pop Project research group have published new data predicting the global spread of the deadly coronavirus over the next three months.
The study is based on the mobile phone and flight data of 60,000 of an estimated five million Wuhan residents who fled during the critical two weeks before the outbreak city was placed under lock down.
