Gambia’s Vice President Isatou Touray has been tested coronavirus positive and President Adama Barrow will enter into self-isolation for the next two weeks, with immediate effect, the presidency confirmed on Wednesday, reported Reuters.
“The President, Adama Barrow will be on self-isolation with immediate effect for two weeks,” the Gambia State House said in the statement.
The statement, however, did not provide any further details about Touray’s condition. The 65-year-old Touray was named as the country’s vice president last year. It urged citizens to wear masks, practice socially distancing and wash hands.
“The public is reminded that the coronavirus is real and exists in The Gambia,” the statement said.
Gambia, mainland Africa’s smallest country, has reported 326 positive coronavirus cases and eight deaths from the coronavirus so far, while 66 people have recovered.
The novel coronavirus has spread to at least 188 countries and regions since first appearing in China last December. The pandemic has killed over 670,000 people worldwide, with over 17 million confirmed cases and over 10 million recoveries, according to figures compiled by the US’ Johns Hopkins University.
The US, Brazil, India and Russia are the worst affected coronavirus hit countries in the world.
Earlier this week, the World Health Organization’s director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Covid-19 is undoubtedly the most severe global health emergency ever. Ebola (two outbreaks), Zika, polio and swine flu are the other five global health emergencies recorded so far.
“When I declared a public health emergency of international concern on 30 January… there were less than 100 cases outside of China, and no deaths,” Dr Tedros said at a virtual news briefing in Geneva. “Covid-19 has changed our world. It has brought people, communities and nations together, and driven them apart.”
The WHO leader said only with strict adherence to health measures, from wearing masks to avoiding crowds, would the world manage to beat the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
