30 Mar 2020

The Assistant Minister of Health and Wellness, Mr Sethomo Lelatisitswe has warned Letlhakane village leadership that diamond sales might decline due to COVID-19 pandemic.

Mr Lelatisitswe said this during a meeting with the heads of department and the village leadership in Letlhakane on March 27.

He stated that COVID-19 pandemic might lead to a decline in diamond sales because Botswana’s diamond markets were in America and China.

The impact of the pandemic, he said, might cause economic recession and government would be compelled to re-prioritise and divert resources.

He implored the departments heads to work as one team, saying  ‘we need to consolidate our resources and commit towards saving the nation from this pandemic’.

Mr Lelatisitswe indicated that the rate at which local transmission had been growing in South Africa had forced government to reduce movement between borders.

The minister noted that most of the people entered the country to supply the mines, as most of suppliers were from South Africa.

Therefore, he said, it was crucial to establish how Boteti Sub-district as a mining area was coping, since the outbreak of COVID-19.

Government, he said, was contemplating a lockdown, stating that no one would be allowed to leave the country unless there was a valid reason and there would be certain goods that would be allowed entry.

Minister Lelatisitswe said people found loitering would be fined by the police and public transport would have specific times of operation.

He stated that anyone violating self-quarantine would be detained and quarantined and there would be no negotiations.

He advised the team to start negotiating with guest house owners for purposes of quarantine or isolation and agree on terms.

“Let us bear in mind that we are here to protect the nation and we are aware that this pandemic would deny you the opportunity to spend time with families,” he said.

The District Public Health specialist, Dr Solomon Tegegne said they were doing surveillance and conducting case identification for isolation.

Dr Tegegne said the sub-district currently had people who had travelled outside the country and had been isolated.

He stated that the team was conducting orientation, sensitisation and training, indicating that more than 300 health workers, the police and immigration officers had been trained.

He said the district health management team was also working with Orapa and Lucara Botswana on rapid-response against the pandemic.

Dr Tegegne however raised a concern that there was shortage of Personal Protective Equipment, noting that they had some for emergency. He also said they have shortage of ambulances, noting that three were available and one would be reserved for COVID-19.

Commenting, the deputy district commissioner Mr Ewetse Selelo said it was important to have guidelines of what an isolation centre should comprise of. ENDS