Botswana reinstates lockdown on capital

Botswana’s capital, Gaborone, has been placed under total lockdown for two weeks after recording 30 new cases of coronavirus.

The order took effect on Thursday midnight.

“Essential services will operate at 25% capacity, there will be no movement within the Greater Gaborone Zone without a movement permit and movement to and from Greater Gaborone Zone will be void with immediate effect,” said Kereng Masupu, the coordinator of the presidential Covid-19 taskforce.

It is very amusing to notice that this country which is part of the few countries in Africa that has recorded cases less than 1000 cases shares border a southern border with South Africa which currently records the highest number of coronavirus cases.

Their first suspected coronavirus case in Botswana was announced on  January 31,  2020. The patient was a passenger who arrived aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight from China.

Botswana’s President Mokgweetsi Masisi, a month later, declared a state of emergency for 28 days to curb the spread of the coronavirus which took effect on  April 2.

It came with a lockdown which was later extended to May 21.

Businesses and schools were allowed to reopen under controls, but its borders were  closed .  But the borders were opened to returning citizens and imports of essential goods after the lockdown.

Botswana has to date confirmed 170 coronavirus cases and two deaths.

Interestingly, it neigbour South Africa has recorded Africa’s highest number of COVID-19 cases-more than 483,000 infections with at least 8,000 deaths.