By Adama Makasuba
President Adama Barrow has announced a ban on on all public gatherings and ordered the shutting down of all schools across the country, in an huge effort to prevent coronavirus coming into the country.
“This suspension includes all international and local conferences, workshops and seminars to be hosted in The Gambia. All schools, including universities, madrassas and daras or majlis will be closed from Wednesday, 18th March 2020 for 21 days,” the president said in an address to the nation on Tuesday.
The president added: “Furthermore, all other public gatherings in whatever form, including lumos (open markets) and Gamos are immediately suspended for three weeks.
“The suspension period will be subject to review as we get updates from the experts.”
According to the president, there was no reported case of any Coronavirus infection in The Gambia so far.
“However, the Government is not complacent. There are surveillance teams at all major entry points into the country, whether by air or land,” he said.
The announcements come as fear grows over the deadly infection that has shaken the whole world. At least 120 countries have been hit by the virus among them next-door neighbour Senegal.
