16 Jul 2020

Botswana has recorded 50 new coronavirus cases, Presidential COVID-19 task force coordinator, Dr Kereng Masupu has announced.

Giving an update yesterday, Dr Masupu said 11 were Batswana and 39 foreign truck drivers.

Of the 11 locals, seven were truck drivers while four were quarantined Batswana returnees, among them a six-months-old baby, who together with the parents, were returning from medical checkup in South Africa, he said.

Dr Masupu said the country had thus far recorded 522 COVID-19 positive cases, out of which 96 were Batswana.

Currently the country had 47 active cases, 48 recoveries and one fatality, said Dr Masupu.

He cautioned that despite the low numbers of local transmission, the country was not yet out of the woods.

The highest risk, he said, was at the borders, particularly along the Botswana/South Africa borders.

“As of Wednesday, South Africa had recorded 300 000 positive cases and 1.5 per cent of the total have died. This poses a major challenge to Botswana since most of the goods are imported from South Africa,” he said.

Meanwhile, Department of Public Health director, Dr Malaki Tshipayagae has said border security remained a challenge in curbing the spread of the virus in the country.

He said the Ministry of Health and Wellness was working with that of defence, justice and security to apply stringent border patrol measures.

Dr Tshipayagae urged residents of border villages to be vigilant of illegal border jumpers.

He also pleaded with the public and service providers to use the Bsafe electronic application as it addressed the possible spread of the virus through the manual registration due to sharing of pens and overcrowding at points of entry.

Dr Tshipayagae said there had been growing COVID-19 compliance concerns at some service points due to congestion which the use of the App could eliminate. Non-compliance to the set COVID-19 protocols might result in the country having to return to lockdown. ENDS