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By Mariama Jobarteh .
The novel Coronavirus has hit the Gambia’s Health Ministry as eight health care workers (nurses, orderlies, and a security officer) at the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital are confirmed to have contracted the virus on Thursday.
A situational report form the Ministry of Health said 14 new cases registered, bringing to 78, being the highest total number of COVID-19 cases ever confirmed in the country.
“This is the 99th national situation report since the confirmation of the first case of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in The Gambia, on the 17th March 2020.”
According to the report, the said cases occurred over a 7-day span o 8 (57%) of the recently confirmed cases are health care workers (nurses, orderlies and a security officer) at the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital. The report also stated that most of the health care worker cases are secondary cases who had close contact with either case 061 or case 064 in a healthcare setting .
“The 263 new laboratory test results received (260 from MRCG and 3 from NPHL) comprise of results of 203 new and 60 repeat tests. For the first time in many years, Resolve To Save Lives funded the printing of surveillance case definition posters for distribution to both private and public health facilities across the country. While 316 persons were newly taken into quarantine, 24 have been discharged. The country currently has 663 people in quarantine; 41 active and 9 probable cases,” the Health Ministry’s report indicated.