Four Health Workers among Those Quarantined – Health Minister
Gambia’s Health Minister, Amadou Samateh disclosed Wednesday that four health workers are among 177 people who are currently being quarantined because of their possible exposure to the late Bangladeshi man who died of Coronavirus in the country last week.
The minister was giving the health ministry’s daily media briefing on the status of COVID-19 at his office in Banjul. According to him, tests are being done on the people who have had closed contacts with the patient before his death.
“One of the closed contacts of the second case, that’s the late Bangladeshi man who is on quarantine currently was tested and his test is inconclusive as we speak, and it’s being repeated and you will know as at and when the test comes out,” he told journalists.
He informs that the man in question is also a Bangladeshi, in his 40s, who came to The Gambia with the second case who passed away.
“He is among the ten closed contacts tested yesterday 24th March 2020. All others who were tested together with him were negative,” minister said.
He said the contact tracing is continuing aggressively with the quest that anyone who has had contacts with the Bangladeshi team or has visited the Markas centre from the 17th to 23rd March 2020 to call our free number 1025 for further advice.
“Currently we have 177 people quarantined in various hotels. The sixth day the first badge of the quarantine will be out if they continue to have no symptom.
“Four of our staff are among those quarantined because of their possible exposure to the second case. We thank them for their immense hard work and sacrifice for the people of this country. We wish to tell them that our hearts and minds are with them and we wish them all the best,” he stated.
Minister warned that COVID-19 is not a joke and challenged everyone to take it seriously to make sure it doesn’t spread in the country.
He dispels the social media rumour regarding a confirmed case in Brikama.
