By Yusupha Jobe
As thousands of Gambians are gripped with fear of the deadly coronavirus pandemic which the cases gradually increasing in country, thousands of Gambians and non-Gambia have called out to authority to take a proper control of the Senegal and Gambia’s boarders across the country.
The latest community to expressed concern and fear over the rise in the case of the virus is Sanyang village in Kombo South, where hundreds of people called for stringent control of the shared borders between The Gambia and Senegal.
The Gambia has so far recorded 23 cases with 13 people currently under treatment, nine recovered and one death.
Nfamara Jawara, a tour guide attached to Sanyang Beach said the suspected close contacts to one of the persons tested positive of coronavirus case which came from the neighbouring country, Senegal was traced out by a rapid response team and later taken in a car for quarantine.
Prior this he said he could not believe it because “it is the first time I’m seeing a COVID-19 response team car at the beach to come and search for someone tested positive. We are at a risk of the virus because no one knows who is having it and such person that might have contact with them.”
Lamin Sanyang, a fisherman said many people entering the country come from Senegal using the sea which he said pose a high health risk on people in the community.
“We are at a higher risk of contracting the virus because most of the time you will see people entering the country using the sea. There must be strong surveillance system and security to avoid the occurrence of such.”
He added that there is no one that can tell who is positive or negative of covid-19 without test, there is to be careful because “it is our sisters and brothers that are in the beach everyday to look for their livelihood.”
Lamin Bojang, chairman of the village development committee, said Sanyang has done it part to assist the sea rescue personnel including other sectors with sanitizers and also stopping suspected cases into the community.