07 Feb 2021

Four schools in the Okavango Sub-district have a total of  428 COVID-19 positive cases.

The affected schools are Shakawe, Etsha 6 and Gowa junior secondary schools as well as Shakakwe Senior Secondary School.

In a Friday media briefing, Ngami District Health Management (DHMT) acting coordinator, Dr Sandra Maripe-Ebutswe, stated that with 290 cases, Gowa Junior Secondary School had the highest number and was temporarily closed.

Shakawe junior registered 64 cases, Shakawe senior 53 and Etsha 6 junior school had 21 cases. 

Dr Maripe-Ebutswe stated that they were working jointly with school heads to manage the situation and had trained some school representatives to assist in contact tracing.

She explained that a dormitory was identified and demarcated to be used as an isolation facility for boarding pupils at Shakawe senior while day scholars were in home isolation.

Cumulatively, the district registered 1 215 cases of which 567 were from Okavango DHMT while 648 were from Ngami DHMT.

Dr Maripe-Ebutswe said by end of last month, the district had registered 483 cases and 21 deaths.

She further explained that of the 192 active cases recorded in Ngami, 65 were on facility based isolation, 1 347 in home quarantine while in Okavango all the 460 active cases were on home isolation.

She expressed concern about shortage of critical care resources in the district noting that they did refer patients to Sir Ketumile Masire Teaching Hospital, which also experienced shortage of beds.

Ngami DHMT, she said, continued with rapid antigen test training in facilities around Maun with 28 officers trained. Training will be rolled out in a phased manner to other clusters.

The acting coordinator also noted that efforts were made to reinforce prevention and control measures in all facilities.

She said Matshwane COVID-19 laboratory was functioning.

The laboratory was established because Maun zone was reported to be a high risk area and the lab was expected to fast track results.

However, she noted that since the country was experiencing shortage of robotic tips in laboratories for molecular testing, all DHMTs were advised to use rapid antigen testing.

For his part, District Emergency Operation Committee (DEOC) leader, Mr Keolopile Leipego stated that positive cases were increasing rapidly in the district and urged all to be responsibility or their health and not leave it to officials.

He said the committee was making efforts to come up with interventions to facilitate prevention measures to fight the scourge adding that the committee had mobilised leadership from villages to lead by example and ensure COVID- 19 protocol compliance. Ends