By Mustapha K Darboe
Gambia, BANJUL (AA) - Gambian authorities have suspended overseas travels for public officers, effective immediately, to prevent coronavirus from entering the West African country of about 2 million people.
Gambia is surrounded by Senegal in all its three sides. Senegal has already reported six cases of the COVID-19. Gambia is yet to report any new case.
“The decision to suspend all overseas travels is due to the rapid spread of the Coronavirus (COVID 19) throughout the globe,” Gambian authorities said in a statement published on the official Facebook page of the presidency.
“The relevant government authorities are actively monitoring this global health menace and will advise Office of the President accordingly to review the suspension at the appropriate time.”
After emerging in Wuhan, China last December, the virus, officially known as COVID-19, has spread to at least 123 countries and territories.
The global death toll is now nearly 5,000, with more than 132,500 confirmed cases, according to the World Health Organization, which declared the outbreak a pandemic.