Inhabitants
of Bundung especially those around Markass Center are in a state of panic,
after the death of a 70-year-old Bangladeshi, who was earlier tested positive
of coronavirus before his death on Saturday.
The Bangladeshi, who came to preach in the country; was residing at the Bundung Markass Center. After his demise, people living around the Bundung Markass are left in totally fear as some locked families, while others vacate the area for other places.
The Point recently went out and about to assess and talk to people about normal life, after it emerged in the news the 70-year-old Bangladeshi, who was residing at Bundung Markass, had been tested positive of covid-19 leading to his demise.
“We don’t even believe ourselves anymore as
people living around Bundung Markass. Some of us might not even know if we are
contracted with the virus because they said that the symptoms start from 2-14
days,” said Abdou Colley, a resident of Bundung Markass.
Colley
explained that some of the people around the area have left the place due to
the fear that someone might contract the disease unknowingly.
Adama
Sidibeh is another resident of Bundung Markass Center. For him, they are
totally in a state of fear and panic, noting that they don’t know who are
infected with the virus now.
“Most
of the people around this vicinity do not know who is who anymore. Because we
don’t know the people who might be infected and might not be infected with the
virus,” he said.
“Two
of my people left their houses to another place due to the fear they are facing
right now,” he said.
Jainaba
Jawara also shared similar experience, noting that she doesn’t trust herself
anymore much more another person following the news of the demise of the
Bangladeshi.
Jawara
explained that what some of them want to do now is to go to the hospital for
self quarantine.
“I
advise myself and some of my friends to go to the hospital for checkup, because
we all don’t trust anyone now due to what had happened around our area,” she
said.
Lamin
Jabbi, another resident of Bundung Markass, noted that some of them are just
putting their faith in God and nothing else.
“We
are all currently confused, fear and panic after the news of the death of the
Bangladeshi. Some of us are just having fate in God and we hope that such
disease will not claim many lives in the country,” he said.
Meanwhile,
the 70-year-old Bangladeshi arrived in The Gambia by A’ Sky Airline, with three
other people on 14 March, 2020. He departed Bangladesh on 4 March and passed
through Thailand, Ethiopia and Malawi, where they attended a religious confab.
He
then flew back to Ethiopia on 10 March, Mali and Senegal on 11 March where he
spent three days on transit at Senegal’s airport before arriving in The Gambia
on the 14 March 2020.
Ministry
of Health’s reactions
The
Ministry of Health intends to fumigate and lockdown Bundung Markass Center, as
Gambia’s second case of Covid-19 was identified from the said premises.
According
to Modou Njai, director of Health Promotion and Education, three nurses, a
doctor and orderly from Bundung Maternal and Child Health Hospital who met the
patient (the Bangladeshi man) are on quarantine, adding that samples would be
collected from all high risk contacts.
