17 Mar 2020

The Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Lemogang Kwape has said Botswana does not have a confirmed case of COVID-19 or corona virus.

The minister told Parliament March 16 that out of the 24 suspected cases, 21 tested negative and results for three were still pending.

He further said another 129 were under self-quarantine as they did not show any signs of the disease although they had travelled from affected countries.

The minister said government had established a Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Team which met daily.

The team gathers information about the epidemic, receives global updates, updates Botswana’s Daily Situation report based on progress reports from various districts, reviews management options and health service capacity and manages response activities.

Dr Kwape said ‘the main focus of government in dealing with the outbreak centers on comprehensive planning that addresses prevention, preparedness, response, recovery, continuity and health systems improvement activities.’

The minister said reports received indicated that the spread of the virus was declining in China due to robust measures the country introduced, but the main concern was that it was now spreading in other parts of the world.

He said this meant that extra caution must be exercised and strict measures be put in place such as strict hand hygiene, respiratory etiquette and social distancing.

The government, he said, had developed a country-wide isolation and case management system with a plan in place for each district and their specific needs. Dr Kwape said health screenings were being conducted on a daily basis at airports and border gates with additional localities to be rolled out during the week.

He said over 200 000 travelers had been screened, adding that they were working with security agencies with a view to strengthen surveillance along borders in order to curb un-gazetted entry.

The minister said testing at the National Health Laboratory commenced on March 11 and to date, three tests had been conducted, adding that it had the capacity to test up to 500 specimens per day with results available within 24 – 72 hours of receiving the specimens.

He said Botswana had received support from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Centre for Disease Control Botswana which provided funding for the procurement of reagents for a period of three months.

The government was also collaborating with University of Botswana, Baylor Children’s Centre of Excellence, private sector and NGOs.

Talking about information dissemination, Dr Kwape said the current plan aimed to provide the public with essential and factual messages to ensure active uptake of preventive measures and to eliminate fear and stigma.

He said they used different media platforms to provide information to the public and empower them with skills to prevent the spread of the virus and also to assure them of the country’s preparedness.

“Regarding Batswana in Wuhan, government has not taken a decision to evacuate them. However all options remain on the table for now and we are actively monitoring the situation,” he said.

The minister called upon MPs to sensitise their constituents about the epidemic, adding that contrary to misleading information, the virus  affected everyone including Africans. Meanwhile, government has suspended all external trips by public officers, including the hosting of international events and conferences.

Dr Kwape assured Parliament that additional measures such as closure of schools would be taken as the team was newly appointed and therefore still had to make informed decisions. Ends