This comes following the declaration of a new State of Public Emergency and introduction of curfew by His Excellency, the President of the Republic of The Gambia, effective 6th August 2020 throughout The Gambia for a period of 21 days.
The launch of this new operation code name-Save our Souls (SoS), is quite apt considering the spiral nature of this highly contagious and deadly virus.
The development according to police, is pursuant to the enforcement of the Public Health (Dangerous and Infectious Disease) Protection Regulation 2020.
Suffice it to state that the world is enveloped in a global health emergency that is exacting enormous medical and economic tolls upon humanity.
As medical community finds itself on the front lines throughout the world dealing with the immediate human health consequences of this rapidly evolving crisis and trying to develop therapies and vaccines, so as countries and their leaders in their attempt to mitigate the overwhelming societal and economic devastations that are unfolding.
Health experts around the globe need to move fast and find an alternative to the cure of this virus. Apart from dominating international headlines, the virus has been and continues to claim thousands of lives daily.
However, while the new regulation like the previous one, seeks to restrict movement of persons between 10:00 p.m. and 05:00 a.m. daily; is also designed to ensure that all non-food outlets in markets throughout The Gambia remain closed except banks and financial institutions, drug stores, pharmacies, supermarkets and mini markets, local shop owners and essential food traders. However, markets shall be opened between 6:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. daily and remain closed on Sundays; all houses of worship (mosques and churches etc.shall remain closed, among a host of other issues. This is unprecedented in the history of The Gambia, but it also goes to show severity of this deadly virus. Certainly, coronavirus is not a joke.
This global pandemic is a threat to human existence, and therefore, let’s all rally against it to safe our souls. We wish to reiterate here the need for attitudinal change if the country is to make any meaningful headway in the containment of this virus.
Timely contact tracing is also vital in the containment of the virus. And let’s report any suspected case to the national hotline for COVID-19 concerns and questions, on 1025 within The Gambia.
"We cannot stop natural disasters but we can arm ourselves with knowledge: so many lives wouldn't haveto be lost if there was enough disater preparedness."
Petra Nemcova