By Nelson Manneh
The Gambia has over the weekend registered one new COVID-19 related death, bringing the total number of deaths ever registered since March 2020 to one hundred and forty-four (144).
The deceased is a thirty-four-year-old man diabetic patient.
The country has also registered fifteen (15) new cases of the deadly coronavirus, bringing the total number of COVID-19 cases ever confirmed in the country to four thousand, five hundred and fifty-four (4, 554).
The median age of the newly confirmed cases is 36.4. About 72% of the newly confirmed cases are contacts of recently confirmed cases, one was ill and sought healthcare and two tested on the account of intending to travel.
This is the 266th national situation report since the confirmation of the first case of the novel coronavirus diseases (COVID-19) in The Gambia, on the 16th March 2020.
Modou Njai, the Director of Health Promotion and Education at the Ministry of Health, said two hundred and sixty-one new (261) laboratory test results were received from the Medical Research Council and National Public Health Lab.
Of these, he said fifteen new samples tested positive, representing 5.7% positive test rate.
“Twenty-four (24) high-risk contacts of recently confirmed cases were identified and their follow-up began in earnest,” he said.
Director Njai said seven COVID-19 patients were newly discharged from treatment centres.