By Landing Colley
All sittings for 2020 in National Assembly have been suspended until further notice effective from Wednesday, 18th March, 2020.
The sitting was suspended following the telecast of president of the Republic of The Gambia Adama Barrow over the Covid-19 pandemic whereby he declared that all public gathering should be suspended for 21 days while the Minister of Health later confirmed the first case of COVID-19 pandemic in the country.
Tuesday, before the declaration of the first confirmed case in The Gambia, Dr. Ahmadou Lamin Samateh, Minister of Health with his team appeared before the National Assembly Member to inform them on how ready they are at the Ministry to prevent the country from the virus and how best they can treat any infected person should incase it happen that coronavirus pandemic emerge.
He said it is very difficult to confirm those that might be infected with the virus as 80% percent of infected people show no sign of syndrome. This is because only 20% shows the syndrome and 5% will manifest the disease while out of that 3.4% may die.
He added that 206 people that are in isolation will be monitored for fourteen days if they show no sign then they will allow them to associate with people and two suspected cases tested negative.
Since the President put off all public gathering for 21 days with the confirmation of the first case in the country, the NAM Wednesday decided to suspend the First Sitting of the First Ordinary Session in 2020 Legislative Year.
Mrs. Jack Marie Denton, Speaker of the National Assembly said “the seriousness at hand and the fact that public gathering has been suspended for the time being I want to use the Standing Order 2019 plus 13 dealing with the adjournment to suspend the First Sitting of the First Ordinary Session in 2020 Legislative Year until further notice.”
She said “there is need for proper sensitization in our various consequences as the office of the Clerk will facilitate that to the NAM.”