By Nelson Manneh
Health Authorities have on Thursday 15th April 2021 indicated that eighteen thousand, four hundred and twenty-eight people have been vaccinated against COVID-19 as of 13th April 2021.
The Gambia has on Thursday 15th April 2021 registered twelve new cases of the deadly coronavirus taking the total number of COVID-19 cases ever confirmed in the country to five thousand, six hundred and ninety-four.
29% of these tested for reasons of travelling and 43% being ill seeking health care due to suspicion of COVID-19. The median age of the new cases is 42.5.
No new COVID-19-related death was registered, bringing the total number of deaths since March 2020 to one hundred and seventy.
This is the 294th national situation report since the confirmation of the first case of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in The Gambia, on the 16th March 2020. The Gambia currently has no one in hotel quarantine and three hundred and forty-eight active cases.
Modou Njai, the Director of Health Promotion and Education at the Ministry of Health, said a total of one hundred and fifty-one new laboratory tests results were received from the National Public Health Lab and the Medical Research Council.
Of these, Director Njai said twelve new samples tested positive, representing a 7.9% positivity test rate.
He said twenty high-risk contacts of recently confirmed casesa were identified.
“Two COVID-19 patients were newly discharged from treatment centres, while 9 got discharged at least 10 days from the day they tested positive but evaded institutional isolation,” he said.
Njai said two COVID-19 patients are currently on oxygen therapy.
“One hundred and seventy-four rapid diagnostic tests were conducted at the Airport for travelers coming into The Gambia,” he said.
Director Njai said a Gambian philanthropist and businessman have helped in improving the internet problem at National Public Health Laboratory. COVID-19 Intra-Action Review (IAR) has just been completed and a new plan is in the offing.