05 Jul 2020

Chairperson of North West District Emergency Operation Committee, Mr Keolopile Leipego has highlighted lack of quarantine space as a challenge since the commencement of contact tracing in the Maun zone.

Briefing members of the media recently, Mr Leipego said following registration of the first COVID-19 case in Maun on June 27, the District Health Management Team (DHMT) commenced contact tracing to gauge any possibilities of the virus hence the need for facilities for quarantine.

He said more people could be identified during the contact tracing exercise, noting that so far 11 people had been quarantined at some lodges.

He said an ideal facility for quarantine other than lodges and hotels, was the Botswana Open University. 

He said it was unfortunate that the institution had started its programmes.

He said efforts were made to request lodges and hotels to assist, but some indicated that they had started operations and were already receiving regular guests while some stated that they had not yet opened but had already received bookings.

Mr Leipego who is also the district commissioner expressed concern that since the end of the extreme social distancing period , some people continued to violate the health protocols.

He stressed the need for the community to understand that COVID-19 was not yet over hence they should continue adhering to safety measures in place.

Despite government efforts to regulate numbers in community activities such as funerals and weddings, he said, it was disturbing as people continued to celebrate weddings and attending funerals in large numbers. 

He also noted a worrying trend that  some were providing food at funerals.

In public spaces such as shopping complexes and public offices, he observed, people tended to move around without masks and failed to observe social distancing.

The district has tested 187 people since March to date, of which 186 tested negative with one positive case.

Mr Leipego revealed that the positive case could have an impact on the district economy stating that most economic activities were recovering as the Thamalakane River had received floods. Ends