The Ministry of Health announces Monday the death of a senior nurse at the country’s main referral hospital in Banjul of Coronavirus.
It’s the third death of COVID 19 in the country but this is the first case of death involving a health worker.
The ministry did not identify the deceased by name or gender. However, the person is a 50 year-old Gambian working as a senior nurse at the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital.
“In addition to having had an underlying health condition – a known diabetic – he also had severe pneumonia-like Symptoms,” the ministry said.
It added that the deceased sample was only collected from him after his demise on the 4th of July and a positive test result returned on 5th July.
“Therefore the 3rd death covid19 case Is registered in The Gambia,” ministry disclosed.
Meanwhile, two other news cases confirmed by the ministry are labeled 058 and 059 Belgian couples both at the age of 64. The duo arrived into the country by SN Brussels flight, on the 22nd June.
“They both tested negative for COVID-19 at the commencement of their
Quarantine period. Their second samples were collected on July 4th and tested positive for COVID-19 on 05th July.”
Case 060 is a UN staff of Gambian nationality, 45, who recently returned from Liberia by a WFP-chartered A’Sky flight.
“She was immediately taken into quarantine when she arrived into the country on July 1st.”