16 Mar 2020

Hospitality and Tourism Association of Botswana (HATAB) chief executive officer, Ms Lily Rakorong has encouraged the tourism sector in Maun to remain united amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

During a meeting with Botswana Tourism Organisation (BTO), HATAB and a health team in Maun on March 13, Ms Rakorong said the sector should work on prevention measures in the absence of any recorded cases in Botswana.

She emphasised that should a case be recorded they should work hard to contain the spread.

She said their desire was to see jobs retained in the midst of the pandemic although the sector was already experiencing the effects such as cancellation of bookings and no enquiries.

Ms Rakorong noted that the tourism sector had survived challenges before, among them the economic meltdown and diseases in some parts of the world such as Ebola and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).

She said HATAB had lobbied government for a ‘stimulus package’ that would assist the industry to survive.

Ngami District Health Management Team (DHMT) head, Dr Malebogo Kebabonye said the partnership between the health and the tourism sectors was key against COVID-19.

Dr Kebabonye expressed gratitude to the tourism sector in Ngamiland District for their cooperation during recent investigations of a suspected case in the delta.

“The woman who showed symptoms is currently quarantined while awaiting results,” she said.

Dr Kebabonye also advised tourism operators to avoid evacuating people who may show symptoms of the disease. She said they should rather isolate them while awaiting the medical team to carry out the evacuation.

She said Matshwane Clinic in Maun was the designated facility for suspected cases.

Giving an overall of the disease, Dr Kebabonye said so far about six African countries were affected.

She noted that South Africa had moved from imported cases to local transmission of the COVID-19 virus.

Dr Kebabonye said the disease had mostly affected Italy and the United Kingdom.

“Globally over 125 000 cases have been recorded to date and over 3 000 deaths,” she said.

She said there were no confirmed cases yet in Botswana, but that 19 people have been tested of which 14 were negative while five were still under investigation, including the one in Ngamiland.

She said the district had a response team in place. Ends