06 Aug 2020

COVID-19 Task Force Team deputy national coordinator, Prof. Mosepele Mosepele has reported two new COVID-19 cases at Gaborone’s Princess Marina Hospital. 

Updating the nation on Wednesday, Prof. Mosepele noted that from the two cases, one man, who had gone to seek medical attention, had difficulty breathing and was currently at Sir Ketumile Masire Teaching Hospital under life support. 

The other case, Prof. Mosepele said, involved a woman who had accompanied a child to undergo an operation. 

He said the woman was currently in isolation while contact tracing is ongoing. 

Prof. Mosepele said the new COVID-19 cases showed that the situation of the pandemic was worsening as the country continued to experience a spike in new cases. 

He said contact tracing in Greater Gaborone following lockdown was being carried out to follow any possible infections that affected several institutions including schools. 

Regarding the evolving situation in the Mogoditshane case, he said the total number of infections stood at 46, with 21 confirmed cases at Terrence Private School from a Form Three class and 18 across all other classes. 

Other cases, he indicated, were a friend, a parent and two teachers fof the infected; adding that all cases translated to 36 per cent of the cases under contact tracing. 

Prof. Mosepele noted that other prospects remained under quarantine for final assessment. 

He said they have tested 109 pupils at Mogoditshane’s Terrence Private School. 

Furthermore, Prof. Mosepele said in another case, an adult male from a family of three was also diagnosed with COVID-19 and consequently the rest of the family tested positive.

He explained that contact tracing of this man led to evaluation and assessment of 32 contacts, who all tested negative at Botswana Open University. 

Prof. Mosepele indicated that contact tracing at the institution had been completed.

He further explained that the son’s contacts led to an evaluation of 179 contacts at Bonnington Community Junior School, of which 90 per cent had tested negative while the rest are awaiting confirmation of results and remained in quarantine.

Still from the family of three, Prof. Mosepele said the wife’s network led to six pupils, five teachers and five others who were a husband and four children of one of the teachers. 

He indicated that this cluster stood at 16 positive cases.  He said the recently reported Serowe case was part of the cluster of investigations and 18 contacts from that investigations had so far tested negative. 

In Oodi, Prof. Mosepele said the primary contacts of the two confirmed positive cases had tested negative and remained in quarantine. 

Similarly, Prof. Mosepele said in the case of Goodhope positive case, the initial contacts had tested negative and remained in quarantine, while further testing and assessment was awaited. 

He said contact tracing was integral to Botswana’s COVID-19 containment strategy and urged everyone to keep a note of their whereabouts including those of children. Ends