12 May 2020

Register keeping has been identified as a paramount practice in the fight against COVID 19.

Speaking in an interview with BOPA on May 11, coordinator of COVID-19 Task Force, Dr Kereng Masupu said register keeping enabled organisations, institutions and businesses as well as the COVID 19 Task Force to know the time spent by employees at work as they registered when they enter and leave the premises.

Dr Masupu shared that clients would also be traceable in the event there is a suspected case of COVID-19 within the clientele data base and therefore appropriate measures would be taken to rescue the situation.

He said register keeping would give them an aptitude to counteract the situation unlike relying on off-the cuff information in which there is a possibility of forgetting some people that might be needed in tracing itinerary.

He therefore implored the general populace, business community and institutions to comply with register keeping and other prescribed COVID-19 regulations to ensure the plague is kept at bay.

Dr Masupu encouraged organisations to register the clientele using smart phones that would enable them to log into permit system and COVID-19 command centre so that suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19 could be attended to on time.

However, there has been a lot of public outcry that thermometers used at work places and businesses might be sub-standards as they capture temperatures as low as 29 and as high as 50 Degree Celsius, whereas the normal body temperature is 37 Degree Celsius.

In response, Dr Masupu said those who procure thermometers should ensure that they are Botswana Medicines Regulatory Authority (BoMRA) approved and Botswana Bureau of Standards (BoBS) certified.

For her part, Shoppers Mahube branch manager, Ms Omphemetse Mokhure said register keeping helps them to know where the customer is coming from as those who buy should be residing in the proximity of the shopping complex.

She said no outsider is allowed to shop in their shop as a precautionary measure against COVID-19. Ms Mokhure said they also check if the clientele is having a valid permit to enter the shopping compound.

She shared that such a register would assist in traceability purposes in case someone is found with Coronavirus. She said they bought thermometers with the assistance of the Ministry of Health and Wellness.  

As from May 8, government implemented new COVID-19 regulations to heighten the battle on the scourge, which spells out that trades, businesses and schools may operate on condition that they satisfy the director of health services or those mandated by his office for being in compliance with relevant COVID-19 precautions.

Places of religious worship will be allowed to conduct services twice a week, with a maximum of 50 people allowed to attend each service.

A person attending the funeral of an immediate family member (described as a parent, sibling or child) or a person leaving home to access their ploughing field, cattle post, ranch or farm will be exempted from such travel prohibition, but they will have to acquire a travel permit.

The country is demarcated into nine COVID-19 zones to allow the task force team to effectively fight the plague that include the Greater Gaborone zone, which incorporates towns, villages and settlements from Dibete to Ramatlabama, Lobatse as well as Kanye, Molepolole and surrounding areas.

The Greater Francistown zone covers the area from Ramokgwebana to Gojwane gate, stretching also to Dukwi and Mokubilo.

Another area is the Greater Palapye zone, covering the area from Dibete to Martin's Drift and Sefhophe gate, including the major villages of Serowe, Mahalapye and Palapye.

The Boteti zone stretches from Makoba to Makalamabedi while the whole of Ngamiland is designated as the Greater Maun zone; while the Chobe zone consists of the Chobe District up to Dukwi and Zoroga gate.

The area from Jwaneng to the Kgalagadi North and South constituencies has been demarcated as the Kgalagadi zone.

People will not be allowed to undertake non-essential travel across these zones for the period of the state of public emergency. ENDS