14 Apr 2020

A total of 24 contacts of the COVID-19 Siviya patient have tested negative for COVID-19.

North East District Health Management Team (DHMT) coordinator, Ms Rodah Phindela stated that so far they had managed to trace 36 contacts of the 34-year-old man from Siviya village in the North East District.

Ms Phindela said they were awaiting results of the 12 remaining contacts who were still in quarantine. She added that most of the contacts were the patient’s family members, some health workers, police officers and members of the community.

Tracing continues to establish all possible contacts; she said, adding that they were still investigating to find out if he had visited some other people in other locations out of Siviya. 

Ms Phindela noted that the patient had travelled to UK and upon arrival, he drove all the way from Gaborone to Siviya, hence it was probable that he had contacted many people along the way.

She said the health officials would leave no stone unturned to trace all his contacts in and outside Siviya and further called on every person who could have contacted him to present themselves at their nearest health centre.

The coordinator stated that the patient had been transferred to Sir Ketumile Masire Teaching Hospital, where COVID-19 patients were monitored.

Ms Phindela said Siviya Clinic was disinfected on Monday, adding that the ambulance that transported the patient to Gaborone had already been disinfected upon return over the holidays.

She highlighted that the patient was taken to Gaborone due to the fact that the district did not have any isolation centre to keep patients.

Ms Phindela revealed that the patient was asymptomatic when his results came out.

“He is very fit and doesn’t show any symptoms, but it is procedural to isolate him at a centre that has been set aside for that purpose.” END