By Omar Bah
Health Minister, Dr Ahmadou Lamin Samateh has warned Gambians against complacency after revealing that the country now has only one active Covid-19 case.
“We now have 95 persons under quarantine, one active case and no probable case. We however wish to appeal that we should not be complacent just because we have only one case. There is no room for complacency,” Minister Samateh told journalists Friday in Banjul.
He further contended: “It is very important that we still maintain the hygiene procedures, the social distancing and the wearing of the mask that we have been advocating. There is no room for complacency.As a nation we conducted 401 tests, 10 positives, 1 death, 1 active case and 8 recovered. We are also pleased to inform you that 269 people completed quarantine, 642 contacts were traced and 310 completed follow-ups.”
Minister Samateh has also confirmed that the four recovered patients have been discharged.
He said the ministry now has a special burial team if the need arises.
121 prisoners’ pardon
Meanwhile, as part of measures to curb Covid-19, President Adama Barrow, in exercise of his Prerogative of Mercy, has pardoned some 121 prisoners.
Seventy-eight of those inmates are from the Mile 2 Central Prison in Banjul, twenty-four from Jeshwang prison within the Kanifing Municipality and thirteen from Janjanbureh Prisons in the Central River Region (CRR).
Ever since his coming to power in January 2017, President Barrow has consistently granted amnesty to prisoners. Soon after assuming office Barrow in a magnanimous gesture emptied Mile 2 Prisons of all political detainees and prisoners some of whom were languishing behind the prison walls for decades without court appearance.
