A 70-year-old Bangladeshi Tablighi Jama‘at (preacher) has become the first person to die from coronavirus in the Gambia, health officials have confirmed.
The man who has not been named, arrived in the country from Senegal on 13th March 2020 and was residing at the Markaz Islamic Centre in Bundungka Kunda, where he interacted with members of the community.
Dr Ahmadou Lamin Samateh , minister of Health, said: “He (preacher) was in six other countries where he was carrying out similar preaching. He was a known diabetic who presented at a health facility… He was later referred to the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital and he unfortunately passed away in the ambulance before arrival on the 20th March 2020.
“A sample was taken from him and the results were delivered today and we confirmed the positive test.”
The Markaz Islamic Centre is frequented by hundreds of worshippers a week. It also houses many Tablighi Jama‘at members from countries around the world who visit the country to propagate the teachings of Islam in mosques across the country.
