Banjul,
The Gambia – In the midst of the global COVID-19 pandemic, The United States is
taking decisive action to inform and safeguard U.S. citizens overseas, protect
the homeland, advance the Administration’s commitment to building global health
security capacity for this and future outbreaks, and reduce the impact on U.S.
companies and supply chains overseas.
On
March 2, our USAID announced $37 million in financing allocated for countries
affected or at high risk of the Wuhan virus’s spread. That comes on top of the $100 million in
humanitarian assistance and delivery of more than 17 tons of assistance that
the United States has sent to the Chinese people back in January. The U.S. assistance reflects continued U.S. commitment
to preventing and treating infectious diseases. As outlined in its Global
Health Security Strategy, the U.S. partners with other countries to better
prevent, detect and respond to infectious disease threats at the source. Since 2009, USAID has invested more than $1
billion to help prevent, detect and respond to endemic and emerging health
threats, including diseases like COVID-19. “This commitment — along with the
hundreds of millions generously donated by the American private sector —
demonstrates strong U.S. leadership in response to the outbreak,” said U.S.
Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo.
The
United States has also taken measures to ensure the safety and security of
American Citizens around the world.
• On March 11, the U.S. Department of
State issued a Worldwide Level 3 Health Advisory due to an outbreak of
COVID-19. Please visit
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/ea/travel-advisory-alert-global-level-3-health-advisory-issue.html
to read the full text of the Advisory.
• On March 14, the Department of State
authorized the departure from any diplomatic or consular post in the world of
US personnel and family members who have been medically determined to be at
higher risk of a poor outcome if exposed to COVID-19.
• On March 15, the Peace Corps
announced it would suspend Volunteer operations and begin evacuating Volunteers
from all posts due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
These evacuations represent the temporary suspension of Volunteer
activities. The Peace Corps is not closing posts, and they will be ready to
return to normal operations when conditions permit.
Here
in The Gambia:
• As of March 17, 2020 the United
States Embassy in The Gambia is cancelling routine non-immigrant visa
appointments. The Embassy will resume
routine visa services as soon as possible but are unable to provide a specific
date at this time. If an applicant has already paid the MRV fee they should
note that it is valid and may be used for a visa application in the country
where it was purchased within one year of the date of payment.
• On March 17, 2020, the American
Corners in Bundung and on Kairaba Avenue temporarily closed to the public for
an assessment of protocols to effectively mitigate the risk to the many
Gambians who use the facilities on a regular basis. Updates on the status of the corners will be
posted on the Facebook page, www.facebook.com/AmericanCornerGambia.
During
this crisis, the Unites States will continue to lead in global health
security. The United States has been
working for decades to improve global capacity to contain outbreaks at their
source and minimize their impact. These
investments and partnership shave laid foundations to rapidly and effectively
prepare for emerging threats, including the current outbreak.
We
encourage all Gambians to look to reliable sources of information during this
global health crisis. The U.S. Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is a great source of up-to-date and
accurate information from top health care professionals fighting the COVID-19
outbreak. Please visit the CDC’s
COVID-19 information page at https://www.coronavirus.gov.
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