12 Mar 2020

President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi has announced the establishment of a high level national committee he is chairing to oversee the country’s activities related to prevention and response to the Coronavirus outbreak.

Addressing the nation yesterday, President Masisi said the committee, which would commence work on March 16, was responsible for reviewing the country’s readiness to deal with the pandemic on a daily basis.

President Masisi said coordination of the national response to the Coronavirus pandemic would be done at the highest level in the Office of the President.

He said as a precautionary measure, government had suspended until further notice external trips by public officers including the hosting of international events and conferences.

“We encourage individual Batswana to do likewise. Exceptions will be made on a case by case basis,” he stated.

Regarding Batswana in Wuhan, President Masisi said government had put in place an evacuation plan and shared it with the relevant stakeholders.

The required medical supplies, consumables and other needed commodities such as protective clothing, medicines and waste bins had been sourced including those identified for isolation such as cookery, bedding and cleaning materials, he revealed.

He said the Ministry of Health and Wellness had assisted the Ministry of Tertiary Education, Research, Science and Technology with the provision of profiles for psychosocial care services for Batswana in Wuhan adding that a psychologist had been engaged to offer them psycho-social support services through Zoom and Skype platforms.

President further said government was closely monitoring the situation in other parts of the world where there were Batswana citizens and would respond accordingly as the need arose.

He said following the outbreak of the epidemic, government moved swiftly to establish the National Emergency Response Committee made up of senior officials.

The team, met daily at a command centre, gathered information about the epidemic, received global updates, assessed progress reports, reviewed management options, health service capacity and managed response activities as well as provided public education and information, he said.

The President said so far 14 suspected cases had all tested negative while isolation and case management centers had been designated countrywide at Gaborone’s Sir Ketumile Masire Teaching Hospital, Maun’s Matshwane Clinic, Kasane Hospital, Francistown’s Ntshe Clinic, Ghanzi Hospice, Lobatse’s Peleng East Clinic, Palapye’s Ext. 11 Clinic, Gumare Primary Hospital, Magope Clinic in the South East District and Mamuno Border Clinic.

Daily screenings for the virus were being conducted at all our ports of entry while security agencies had been engaged with a view to strengthen surveillance along Botswana borders to curb un-gazetted entries, he said. Meanwhile, President Masisi said government was in the process of capacitating the National Health Laboratory to begin conducting tests of COVID-19 locally.

He said 21 laboratory scientists had received WHO training on specimen collection and shipment across districts while six more were currently being trained.

Government, he said, had also received Viral Transport Media to ensure collection of quality specimen while the National Health Laboratory had finalized a contract with Botswana Bureau of Standards to facilitate servicing and maintenance of Biosafety Cabinet and pipettes crucial to Covid-19 testing laboratory.

“Once this work has been completed, the lab will have the capacity to test between 50 – 150 specimen, per day, and the results will be available within 24-72 hours,” he stated.

He said government had also received support from the Centre for Disease Control and Botswana Harvard Partnership.

On information dissemination, he said government would provide Batswana with essential and factual messages to eliminate fear and stigma around the disease.

Different media platforms would therefore be utilised to empower the nation with knowledge to prevent the spread of the virus and to give assurance on the country's preparedness, President Masisi said adding that messaging would focus on awareness and prevention as well as counteraction of rumours and misinformation.

He discouraged the public from disseminating false and unconfirmed information about COVID-19, warning that government had the capacity to investigate the source of malicious and misleading information and take to task those responsible.

President Masisi said government would inform all incoming travellers about government’s expectations such as screening and management of suspected cases and develop information packages with targeted messages.

He advised Batswana to observe all announced preventive measures and call the toll free number 997 for any further assistance or clarification regarding Coronavirus and to constantly refresh their knowledge about the disease.

President Masisi urged private sector to join government in its efforts to prepare for the prevention and response to the spread of the pandemic in Botswana. Ends