20 Aug 2020

 Southern region’s District Health Management Team (DHMT) coordinator in the Ministry of Health and Wellness, Ms Josephine Mosimanewakgosi has implored the district residents to adhere to COVID-19 protocols as such helped in minimising possible transmission of the virus.

Speaking in an interview on August 18, she said it was evident that COVID-19 was within communities, hence it was of paramount importance to comply with COVID-19 protocols and regulations to save lives.

She said they had recorded some cases in the region stemming from people’s movements from their places of abode to and from Gaborone.

The coordinator shared that some of the cases were recorded in Jwaneng, adding that contact tracing had been ongoing in the region.  She said local transmission was within the communities in her area of jurisdiction, hence people should exercise extra caution and learn to live with COVID 19.

Ms Mosimanewakgosi said random investigations done at shops and other work places indicated that they were complying with inspections at economy re-opening, but at the time of contact tracing they realised that some of the shops were not complying, with most not sanitising customers or not providing hand sanitisers for their clientele.

She opined that the community and businesses failure to comply with COVID-19 protocols and regulations exposed people to coronavirus, stressing that such was taxing to the government through quarantining people and people not going to work, which rendered the economy fragile.

Therefore, she challenged the public to avoid hiding possible suspects of COVID-19, but rather come forward so that people could be tested, adding that concerted efforts were crucial in winning the war against the pandemic.

 At this point in time, she said all should be cognisant that there was a possibility of contracting COVID-19 with each movement they made, hence they should always be on guard and practice prescribed health precautions as well as minimise unnecessary movements. She said they had quarantined almost all possible contacts at home and in mandatory confinements across the region, pointing that they were having a team of officers to back up Jwaneng District Health Management Team for contact tracing.  BOPA