13 Oct 2020

The new Mamuno COVID-19 laboratory will be more efficient compared to the mobile testing facility which accommodates around 120 swabs a day, Assistant Minister for Presidential Affairs, Governance and Public Administration, Mr Dumizweni Mthimkhulu has said.

 Touring the facility together with presidential COVID–19 task  team members, he appreciated progress made in renovating and converting the old immigration office at Mamuno Border Post into a COVID–19 testing laboratory.

The facility, comprising among others a laboratory which will house extraction swabs, testing machinery and a data management office, is expected to test about 1 000 specimens a day. 

Mr Mthimkhulu and the task team encouraged the contractor to speed up the renovation process.

They suggested that all jobs such as paving of corridors be done concurrently with the actual construction to avoid further delays.

For his part, the contractor, Mr Seagiso Malope of Mabric Construction, said works were currently at 30 per cent adding that the project would be finished within the stipulated three weeks.

Meanwhile, the facility’s environmental health officer, Mr Kopano Ndlovu has said completion of the laboratory would result in improved efficiency.

He commended both Botswana and Namibia border health care workers for their efforts in fighting the COVID–19 pandemic.ends