Forty people have either refused isolation or have absconded from treatment centres, the ministry of health said in a statement on Tuesday.
According to the ministry, it has come to the attention of the “Senior Management of the Ministry of Health that there are confirmed positive COVID-19 cases who are currently at large and interacting with the public”.
“Out of the total positives confirmed between 20th January to 25th January 2021, there are 40 confirmed positive cases that have refused isolation or have absconded treatment centers.
“Similarly, the management is also aware that there are large number of travelers who recently arrived in The Gambia from hotspot countries that have refused to abide to official protocols and/or report to the health authorities for the mandatory test upon arrival,” the ministry said in a statement signed by Modou Njai the Director of Health Promotion
According to the top health official, “there are persons deliberately posing a great public health risk to the population by their respective decisions to either evade COVID-19 Health Officials for either transfer to isolation centres, or for testing upon arrival from hotspot countries, abscond the designated isolation centres, refuse to accept their confirmed positive results and/or refuse to comply with The Ministry of Health’s Case Management Policy and Guidelines upon notification of their positive coronavirus status”.
“Several efforts have been made in the past month by the Ministry of Health’s COVID-19 Response Team to reach and/or convince the abovementioned individuals to voluntarily comply, however all efforts have turned out futile.
“The Ministry continues to treat these matters with utmost and grave concern and thus, the Ministry is hereby giving an order and ultimatum to all those concerned, that they are required to report themselves to the health authorities with immediate effect and failure of which will lead to serious consequences, including the publication of names and identifying information of all those at large,” Njai said.
