Gambia: COVID-19 restrictions eased from September 17 /update 8

Event

President Adama Barrow announced that following the expiration of the country's state of emergency on Thursday, September 17, the night curfew in The Gambia will be relaxed, although exact timings remain unclear. All markets nationwide will be allowed to operate between 06:00 and 18:00 (local time) and nonessential shops may resume normal business hours. However, other nonessential businesses such as cinemas, gyms, bars, and pubs will remain closed until further notice.

The country's land and sea borders remain closed, with exceptions for freight and security personnel, and international flights remain suspended, with exceptions for cargo operations and emergency flights. All passengers arriving in the Gambia are subject to a mandatory 14-day quarantine period in a government-designated facility.

As of Friday, September 18, there have been 3473 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the country, and 107 associated fatalities. Further international spread of the virus is expected in the near term.

Context

The first case of COVID-19 was reported on December 31 and the source of the outbreak has been linked to a wet market in Wuhan (Hubei province, China). Since then, human-to-human transmission of the virus has been confirmed.

Cases of the virus have been confirmed in numerous countries and territories worldwide. On March 11, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the global outbreak a pandemic. Virus-screening and quarantining measures are being implemented at airports worldwide, as well as extensive travel restrictions.

The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, dry cough, and tiredness. Some patients may experience other symptoms such as body pains, nasal congestion, headache, conjunctivitis, sore throat, diarrhea, loss of taste or smell or a rash on skin or discoloration of fingers or toes. These symptoms (in most cases mild) appear gradually. Generally, most patients (around 80 percent) recover from the disease without being hospitalized. 

Advice

Measures adopted by local authorities evolve quickly, and are usually effective immediately. Depending on the evolution of the outbreak in other countries, authorities are likely to modify, at very short notice, the list of countries whose travelers are subject to border control measures or entry restrictions upon their arrival to the territory in question. It is advised to postpone nonessential travel due to the risk that travelers may be refused entry or be subject to quarantine upon their arrival or during their stay.

To reduce the risk of transmission, travelers are advised to abide by the following measures:

• Frequently clean hands by applying an alcohol-based hand rub or washing with soap and water.
• When coughing and sneezing, cover mouth and nose with a flexed elbow or tissue; if used, throw the tissue away immediately and wash hands.
• If experiencing a fever, cough, difficulty breathing, or any other symptoms suggestive of respiratory illness, including pneumonia, call emergency services before going to the doctor or hospital to prevent the potential spread of the disease.