15 Oct 2020

The Vice President, Mr Slumber Tsogwane, says government is determined to ensure that the country does not plunge into a health crisis.

Addressing leaders of Rakops, Mmadikola Toromoja, Xere in Rakops recently, Mr Tsogwane said it was critical to guard against the country plunging into a health crisis, whereby there would be shortage of health care centres.

Extension of state of emergency, he said, was intended to ensure that the COVID-19 pandemic did not lead to any massive effect on Batswana.

Government, he said, realised that COVID-19 cases were increasing and that during lockdown, the cases had reduced.

Mr Tsogwane noted that the transmission rate at borders had reduced, but local transmission was rapidly increasing.

He raised a concern that COVID-19 had impacted on government coffers, hence calling on Batswana to comply with COVID-19 regulations.

Mr Tsogwane, also Boteti West MP, pleaded with Batswana to cut unnecessary travelling.

He implored Batswana to resort to online meetings, adding that pupils were also not supposed to share textbooks.

The vice president stated that there were 2 250 active cases, 834 recovering and 20 deaths.

He said the fight against the pandemic could not be achieved if there was no state of emergency.

Mr Tsogwane pointed out that some people failed to accord the disease the seriousness it deserved.

He noted that when President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi proposed the first state of emergency, some people relayed fears that there might be abuse of power, but government had since proven them wrong. 

He stated that the constitution allowed the President to establish regulations aimed at addressing the pandemic.

For her part, the regional health coordinator Ms Gasebotho Kedikilwe said cumulative COVID-19 cases in Boteti stood at 58; recoveries 43, active cases 15, institutional isolation 13 and two home isolation.

Ms Kedikilwe stated that there were no COVID cases yet in Rakops, but were only found in Letlhakane, Orapa and at Lucara Botswana. Ends