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Mai Fatty calls for re-opening of mosques
“Allow people to pray in mosques,” says Mai Ahmed Fatty, the secretary general of Gambia Moral Congress as he pleaded on the authorities to re-open mosques for people to have their congregation prayers highlighting that there is no dialectics to it closing down.
He made this known on a press conference on Wednesday at the party’s bureau along Kairaba Avenue.
In March this year, President Barrow make known a state of public emergency disallowing all public gatherings including the closure of religious institutions.
*The GMC leader added he was never in support of the idea of closing mosques as it lacks sense.*
Mai said markets are more populated than mosques yet business is normally in all the markets and are visited by large number of people on daily basis.
He said for the fact that social distancing proceedings are not impose at markets; mosques should be giving the same consideration suggesting a greater focus on providing sanitary materials for usage by worshippers.
*Mr. Fatty cited Senegal as an example where he claimed that one of the biggest mosques in the sub-region Touba remains open.*
“We have more covid-19 cases in Senegal than Gambia. In fact the number of deaths exceeds the number of total cases we have here,” he said. “But you go to Touba the biggest mosque in Senegal is open. That is the biggest mosque. It has never been closed. They perform five daily prayers there; it has not exponential resulted to a large case in Touba.”
“Touba has only three or four cases so far but the mosque is opened every day, and Senegal now the president has come to a decision that if you allow markets to operate you should do the same for mosques also. That’s why President Macky Sall two days ago has eased up and allowed people to go back to the mosques.”
Source___The Point
Gambia gov’t dissipates fears that airport might reinstate in June
There are growing worries among Gambians as to whether the Gambia Government will check out reopening the airport in June after reports that a top tour operator is selling tickets to Banjul from UK for June 23.
Gambians, who asserted that they have got emails about the ticket sales, strongly notified government never to open the airport to Coivd-19 focal point like the UK.
“I think it will be a disaster if the airport is opened anytime soon. One of the reasons we have low count of Covid-19 in The Gambia is because the volume of traffic between us and hard-hit areas is low. The closure of the airport significantly cuts any further importation of the virus to the country. So,government should tell us whether they intend to open the airport which would be a terrible disaster,” one commentator in the UK wrote.
The Standard contacted Tourism Minister Hamat Bah, who is a member of the Cabinet emergency committee on Covid-19 pandemic.
He said: “The Gambia’s airport will remain closed and there is no time frame for re-opening, depending on the situation of the coronavirus pandemic in the country. Any plan to wind down coronavirus restrictions including reopening of the airport will hinge on the Covid-19 situational analysis and how it unfolds on the ground by the Ministry of Health before any action is taken.
“I cannot predict when the airport will re-open depending on how we perform on Covid-19 and what it would inflict on us. Let us pray to Allah that there will be no more Covid-19 cases in The Gambia; then we will be happy to open the airport but for now unless we get the advice from the Ministry of Health, I cannot comment on when the airport will reopen”.
Source___Standard Newspaper
Gambian scientists to try-out Covid-19 vaccine
Amidst the medical race to discover an helpful vaccine for the coronavirus that is currently escalating across the world, The Gambia Scientists’ Association, a group of nine home-based scientists, have asserted they are about to test some vaccines for the Covid-19.
Suwaebou Jammeh, the president of the association told The Standard yesterday that three different vaccines are now ready to be try-out
“Just like our fellow scientists around the world, when the coronavirus outbreak was reported we decided to mobilise our efforts to see how best we could secure a vaccine. As we speak, we have discovered three different vaccines which are set for testing and we hope one of them will be effective for Covid-19,” he said.
Nonetheless, Mr Jammeh added: “We want to make it very clear that these vaccines have not been tested yet. We cannot confirm that they will be effective but we are very confident that one of them will be. We just did what scientists around the world are doing. We know we are not certified to make medicine but we are trying to engage the Ministry of Health to see whether they are interested to test the vaccine and see whether it is effective or not.”
For the moment, Senegalese scientific committee has affirmed the effectiveness of the Malagasy remedy and gives the green light for its use in Senegal.
*After receiving a sample of the COVID-19 organics of a Malagasy remedy for the coronavirus, Senegalese scientists said that clinical trials have approved the effectiveness of the remedy.*
Professor Daouda Ndiaye talking to Radio Futurs Medias (RFM) said the Professor Epidemiologist and Head of the Parasitology-Mycology Service of the University Cheikh Anta Diop of Dakar made known the effectiveness of the Malagasy remedy.
“We are moving towards the use of artemisia (Covid-19 Organics). On our side on the scientific level, our light is green […]. We are going to organize ourselves to see how we can reproduce the same formula or order the remedy to give it to the Senegalese,”said Daouda Ndiaye.
Source___Standard Newspaper
Gambia Minority Leader retaliates to GDC’s call for NRP’s deregistration
The Minority Leader of the National Assembly and member of the National Reconciliation Party has retaliated to the opposition GDC youth leader MC Cham, who wanted the IEC to unregister parties such as the NRP for not meeting requirements.
In his response, Samba Jallow said he would not sit by and watch the NRP outrage the laws of the country to a point where it would be deregistered.
Jallow further marked out he GDC’s allegations against his party as a serious indictment, arguing that the GDC don’t have a glue about electoral laws.
“NRP survived for 22 years and it is one of the most participatory parties when it comes to elections in this country. For the 22 years, all political parties boycotted elections but the NRP never gave up with Jammeh. We contested elections every where against Jammeh even we were going to lose. So, I think the information from the GDC can only be their lack of understanding of the laws that establish a political party,” he said.
When told to counter to talks in town that NRP has been acutely compromised to the point that its leader has been publicizing the party’s surrender to President Adama Barrow, Jallow stated: “You see, those are people’s opinions. They have right to their opinions but I’m a member of parliament representing the NRP. You have another four members also. We are actively in governance. We have our five National Assembly Members, we have our chairmen, we went to congress and selected our chairmen and all our structures are in place.So, for anyone to say NRP is compromised is just their opinion,” he finishes.
Source___Standard News
Gambia now has 20 active Covid-19 cases
The Ministry Health has make this known that two people in their twenties have tested positive for coronavirus, taking the number of active cases in the country to 20.
One of the 2 cases is the first case recorded in Western 2 Region. Both cases are in their twenties but were taken into quarantine in different circumstances. While one has been in quarantine for being a close contact of the 11th case, the other was taken into quarantine on account of recently returning to the country from neighbouring Senegal.
“One of the previously reported probable cases has tested negative after being re-sampled. He is still required to complete his mandatory quarantine period. Out of a total of 77 test results received, 75 were negative and 2 tested positive for COVID-19 whereas 5 persons were newly taken into quarantine (3 from CRR and 2 from Serekunda – all close contacts of confirmed cases).”
Bittaye said 6 people were send home after testing negative for COVID-19 upon finishing of the required quarantine period.
“Follow-up period for 22 low-risk contacts has elapsed without any of them exhibiting any symptoms of COVID-19. As such they will no longer be followed. The country currently has 100 persons under quarantine; 10 active cases and 2 probable cases,” he explained.
Source___Standard Newspaper
Risk Emerges As Submission With COVID-19 Measures slow up in Gambia
Risk may loom as submission with COVID-19 measures goes down. This disease is real and a killer as declared by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a global pandemic.
COVID-19 was initially confirmed in the Gambia on 16th March 2020 and presently the country’s COVID-19 status stands at 1 death, 9 recoveries and 11 positive cases.
At the global level, the pandemic since its escalation has killed a toll of 244,122 with 3,446,291 confirmed cases as of 4th May 2020, making it the world’s night mare which at the moment, has no cure or vaccine.
In spite of coming up with a State of Public Emergency and limitations coupled with the numerous sensitization campaigns on the pandemic, Gambians from the onset of the escalation conformed with the guidelines.
To ascertain the submission with the guidelines set aside to contain the escalation of the disease give rise to this medium to visit some of the public places and see the level of concurrence with the precautionary measures put in place.
*At Latrikunda Sabiji Market, this reporter observed that physical distancing rules on public gathering and the use of masks have not been implemented; that people could be seen in numbers without masks and hand washing is also neglected by many at market entrances.*
Source___Foroyaa
UDP Youth president tells Gambian VP Touray ‘Youth must not be used as tools for exploitation.”
Sulayman Saho urges Vice President Isatou Touray to be watchful of what she say and to exercise high regard for others, saying she mistreated and misapply the occasion instead of calling for multi angle approach to contain corona virus.
The vice president was restated during the food distribution calling on young people to take part in the unloading of the food items as source of income earning for them.
This triggered not only Saho but a good number of young people and bothered Gambians. Although she stand her ground that, her “comments were taken out of context or misunderstood.”
*Mr. Saho said if the government fails to address the challenges that young people are facing then it has fail in its responsibility.*
He made recommendations to president Adama Barrow to make a decision about his Vice President’s statements, saying she has vandalized the efforts of the government and putting forward her own political career to become the next president.
*The Central Badibou lawmaker said it is high time for the VP to know and comprehend that the change she is enjoying was done by the youth and not her alone.*
Source___The Point
Gambia Finance minister argue with lawmakers on validity of D700m
It was a vehement debate between the Finance minister and members of the FPAC committee, as they argued on validity of the money used by President Barrow as food aid package to Gambians.
*Finance and Economic Affairs Minister Mambureh Njie said that they have not done any extra-budgetary expenditure aside from the amount adopted by the National Assembly to respond to covid-19.*
The Finance minister speaking in an interview with journalists after he was invited on Thursday by the National Assembly Finance and Public Accounts Committee (FPAC) to elaborate more light on the D700 million that have been taken from the national budget to make a quick response to covid-19.
“The most important is that the amount appropriated by the National Assembly is still respected and we have not done any extra-budgetary expenditure,” said Mambureh Njie.
He explained that, out of the 24 virements, 20 of them were all on travels,but currently there is a travel ban.
“So it was very clear indication that we can use those funds especially the intent; is all about the covid-19 related and we need to respond. We should be proud of ourselves that it is our money that we are using at this moment. We are accountable and we are doing it in the right way.”
The Finance minister further explained that the second virement is 100 percent coming from the savings they made from that debt adjournment.
“I said it’s very clear that we relied and guided by the Public Finance Act 2014 and the 1997 Constitution. The Public Finance was done after the 1997 constitution and it’s a delegated authority and what we have relied on is very clear on section 29 on the virement and the powers vested on the ministry and the minister in particular to reallocate funds,” he said
Source___The Point
Gambia reports 18 Covid-19 cases
The acting director of health services, Dr Mustapha Bittaye on Thursday revealed that one person has tested positive for Covid-19, out of the mass screening made in Bakau last Sunday.
The latest case brings the total number of recorded Covid-19 cases in The Gambia to 18.
Dr Bittaye said: “A new laboratory confirmed case has been recorded bringing the number of Covid-19 cases to 18. Another probable case has also been recorded. Both the newly confirmed case and the probable case are result of samples collected from the mass screening held in Bakau.”
He said while the confirmed case shows symptoms similar to Covid-19, the presume case is asymptomatic.
“Out of a total of 194 test results received, 192 tested negative, 1 inconclusive and 1 positive and 5 people have been taken into quarantine.”
The country right now has 101 persons under quarantine, 8 active cases and 3 presume cases. A total of 1029 tests were made, 18 positive, 323 completed quarantine, 737 contacts track down and 310 completed follow-ups,” Dr Bittaye added.
The new case is confirmed to be a Senegalese national resident in Bakau.
Credit___Standard Newspaper
Gambia National Assembly indicts Finance minister of disdain, pressurize penalty
Members of the Gambia National Assembly have regretfully find fault with the budget transformation process instituted by the government to help contain the coronavirus pandemic.
The government make known a D500 million emergency fund and a D734 million food support from this year’s approved D21 billion budget to overcome the coronavirus outbreak, but lawmakers on finance and public account committee described the decision as “illegal” in the absence of a parliamentary approval.
Sidia Jatta, Fatoumatta Njai and Ya Kumba Jaiteh all went against that the minister of finance did not have the transformatio powers to transfer funds from one public account to the other without the approval of the National Assembly who consent to the original allocation bill.
“It is the position of the law that I am defending.You do not have the authority to do a virement because technically it was the parliament which decided on these laws and to change it you must come back to parliament to seek authority but you failed to do that and that is why I said you are in contempt of the parliament because we made it clear to you in our last meeting. It is not that we are opposed to expenditure on Covid-19, in fact for us the expenditure is too late but you insisted and went ahead to do something that is even worse than the first process,” Sidia added.
The Member for Banjul South Fatoumatta Njai said: “The ministry of finance is in contempt of what the National Assembly has approved and I think it’s about time we started enforcing strict penalties to ensure everybody adheres to the rules because this committee has powers as the high court.”
She encouraged lawmakers to look into the matter for a bona fide penalty to apply on the minister because he cannot be in his corner and start viring money without the authority of the parliament and those in leadership agencies.
Source___Standard Newspaper
D5 Creation