#Editorial

Coronavirus: The battle continues!

Aug 5, 2020, 11:36 AM

The upward surge in the number of Covid-19 reported cases in the country has been very alarming, yet many still doubt the existence of the virus. These spikes in the discovery of new positive cases remind us all that the battle is far from over. And there is more work to be done in the containment of this deadly virus.

During the past few days, the country recorded 173 new cases, which now takes the country’s total to 671. By far this figure is yet again another record of a single day as the virus continues to gain ground. The death toll since the first discovery of the virus in the country now stands at 14 by the time of going to the press.

Among those tested positive for the virus in the last few days include, three cabinet ministers. This comes days after the vice president of the country tested positive. However, the president of the republic has tested negative for coronavirus, a day after State House refuted rumours that the president might have tested positive for the killer virus.

The recent surge in reported cases even forced the government of The Gambia to announce new regulations to stem the rise of the virus in the country.

Certainly,there is no politics in this and let’s not try to downplay the severity of the threat posed by the virus since it continues to claim lives in many countries ever since experts around the world first sounded the alarm about the highly contagious virus in early January.

Let’s us heed to advice recommended by health experts and also adhere to Word Health Organisation’s guidelines such as wearing face masks, regular hand washing, school closures, border closures, and social gathering limitations and among others.

As the daily cases continue to soar, let us continue creating more awareness on the prevention of covid-19. The more informed communities are, the better prepared will our communities be when it comes to responding to emergencies.

"With COVID -19 cases rising again, are there lessons learned that inform how officials should go about slowing new waves of transmission?"

SciLine

COVID-19 knows no ethnicity, no job description, no net wealth, no rank in society, no party affiliation, no gender and borders. It is an international pandemic that has infected over millions of people and claimed the lives of thousands globally with increasing poverty levels through the loss of livelihoods, with the numbers still rising.

We salute our frontline workers who are working and putting their lives on the line to contain the spread of the virus in the country. This is what patriotism calls for; giving yourself in the service of humanity even at the peril of your life.