18 Mar 2021

Mahalapye Sub-district has registered a cumulative number of 1 488 COVID-19 cases and 17 deaths.

Briefing the sub-district’s COVID-19 Emergency Operations Committee about the COVID-19 situation on Tuesday, Mahalapye District Health Management Team (DHMT) coordinator, Ms Thandie Kgosiesele expressed concern that the sub-district continued to experience an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases.

Of these 1 488 cases, she said 1 241 were recoveries, 230 were active cases and 17 deaths.

In addition, the Mahalapye DHMT coordinator said of the 230 active cases, 201 were under home isolation, while 29 were in facility isolation.

“Those who are in home quarantine are 52, while those in institutional quarantine are eight.

Refurbishment of our isolation centre is still ongoing, although we foresee a challenge of shortage of beds, but we will come up with strategies of how to accommodate those who need to be accommodated,” she said.

Ms Kgosiesele appealed to the sub-district leadership to work hand in hand with the DHMT in strengthening adherence to COVID-19 protocols.

“It is important to continue making the public aware that adhering to the set COVID-19 protocols remains key in preventing the spread of coronavirus, because vaccination alone will not be sufficient in preventing community level transmission,” she advised.

The DHMT coordinator also urged the public to cooperate with health authorities during the vaccination rollout, stressing that ‘our health system can still handle any challenges that can arise, the same way it has been handling them during the previously carried out vaccinations.”

Presenting a brief summary of the Botswana COVID-19 Vaccination Strategy, Mahalapye District Hospital medical officer, Dr Gorata Witness said the DHMT recently sent a team of five health officers to a workshop in Palapye meant to sensitise health workers on the national vaccination strategy in preparation for the vaccine rollout.

The team, she said, consisted of a medical doctor, pharmacist, monitoring and evaluation officer, immunisation focal person and a health education officer.

To ensure the vaccine is completely safe for the population, she said all Acts and policies that guide safe use of vaccines would be adhered to, such as Public Health Act and Botswana Essential Drug Policy.

As the pillar of the country’s health system, Dr Witness said essential service providers, as front liners, would be prioritised for vaccination.

These, she said, included; health workers in clinical practice and care, ports of entry staff, law enforcement officers, paramedics, social workers, truck drivers and teachers.

“In terms of vaccination, the general population has been divided into target groups to guide who is going to be vaccinated first, last and who is also not going to be vaccinated.

To achieve the herd immunity, 80 per cent of the population has to be vaccinated, which is a little above 1.6 million,” she said.

Under phase one vaccination, she said the targeted groups were for health system strengthening, phase two groups were for mortality reduction and economic stability, while phase three groups were for reducing community transmission and achieving the herd immunity.

“Since the vaccines have only been tested on adults from 18 years and above, children under 18 years are not going to be vaccinated.

The vaccine has also not been researched on pregnant women sufficiently, so only pregnant women with co-morbidities are the ones who will be vaccinated.

Also, lactating women who fall  under any target group that is going to be vaccinated at that moment in time, are the ones who will be vaccinated,” explained Dr Witness.

Additionally, she said people living with HIV/AIDS who whose virus is suppressed would only be vaccinated if they fell under any of the target groups.

Those people who are immune-compromised, such as cancer patients or any patients who are in immune suppressants, she said they would only be vaccinated looking at the clinical judgment.

“With people who have been previously infected with COVID-19 and those currently COVID-19 positive, if they fall under the target group that is going to be vaccinated, at the time, they are going to be vaccinated as well.

However, Dr Witness said the national vaccination strategy would be continuously reviewed depending on new evidence and how the events unfold during vaccination.

In his closing remarks, the sub-district council chairperson, Mr Bantlhasetse Merementsi thanked Mahalapye DHMT for sharing the national COVID-19 vaccine rollout plan with the sub-district leadership prior to the vaccine rollout. “What you just did is commendable, because the COVID-19 vaccine rollout’s success requires our concerted efforts,” added Mr Merementsi. ENDS