COVID-19 pandemic in Botswana

On 12 January 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed that a novel coronavirus was the cause of a respiratory illness in a cluster of people in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, which was reported to the WHO on 31 December 2019.

[6][4] Model-based simulations for Botswana indicate that the 95% confidence interval for the time-varying reproduction number R t was lower than 1 in the second half of 2021.

[8] A few days after her death, the results came back positive, making it the fourth confirmed case of COVID-19 in Botswana.

In a live broadcast on BTV, vice president Slumber Tsogwane said tracer teams had picked up fourteen people who had been in contact with the infected patients and testing had been conducted on them.

On 30 March, the first four cases in the country were confirmed via an announcement by Minister of Health and wellness Dr. Lemogang Kwape.

[citation needed] According to the Ministry of Health contact tracing has commenced in Molepolole, Metsimotlhabe, Mahalapye, Bobonong and Siviya, all of which have coronavirus cases.

As of 1 May 2020, 7675 tests have been made, members of the National Assembly and the president and the vice-president were found negative.

[17] On 21 May four more positive tests were announced while two infected patients recovered, bringing the active cases at that time to 9.

[citation needed] By the end of May, the total number of confirmed cases reached 35, with the death toll remained unchanged.

[19] On 13 June, The Botswana COVID-19 Presidential Task Force had decided to put the zone under lockdown for the second time.

[23] On 31 July, the Greater Gaborone zone had come under lock down for the third time after a steep uptick of COVID-19 locally transmitted cases.

[26] Professor Mosepele (deputy coordinator), who tested negative, tendered his resignation from the task force but later withdrew it.

On 2 December the number of confirmed cases increased to 11531, of which 1521 had been transferred to other countries, while the death toll rose to 34.

The Minister of Health and Wellness Edwin Dikoloti announced that the 501.V2 variant first identified in South Africa on 18 December had reached Botswana.

[41] According to the Director of Health Services, Dr Malebogo Kebabonye, cases of the variant appeared to be overrepresented in the Maun area.

Most cases occurred in population agglomerations such as Gaborone, Francistown, Selebi Phikwe, Maun, Mochudi and Molepolole.

[51] On 9 March Botswana received a shipment of 30,000 doses of AstraZeneca's Covishield vaccine, donated by India.

[62][63] By 26 November, the number of fully vaccinated citizens surpassed half a million, increasing to 508980 on that day.

[65] On 3 January, as it was announced that the president of Botswana, Mokgweetsi Masisi, tested positive for COVID-19 and was self-isolating.

[citation needed] On 24 June, the Ministry of Health announced that the country was in the midst of a fifth wave of COVID-19 infections that began in May of the same year.

[citation needed] The Ministry of Health and Wellness announced on 13 January that the XBB.1.5 variant had been detected in Botswana.

[71][72] On 24 March, the government announced that borders would be closed, save for twelve designated entry points.

There is concern, however, that people may still enter Botswana illegally from Zimbabwe by avoiding official border crossings.

[75] The pandemic and travel restrictions disrupted what was to be Botswana's first elephant hunting season since 2014[76] and affected the diamond industry.

[77] On 31 March the president of Botswana, Mokgweetsi Masisi gave a speech and declared a State of Public Emergency for the purpose of taking appropriate and stringent measures to address the risks posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The president said that a 21-day State of Public Emergency would not be sufficient to employ the necessary measures to fight the pandemic.

On Thursday, 9 April 2020 the National assembly voted in favour of the six-month extension by acclamation.

[citation needed] On 12 June Stanbic Bank Botswana was ordered temporarily to close its Gaborone head office and Fairgrounds branch following a positive test for COVID-19 from an employee.

[80] Also on 12 June, Gaborone Private Hospital (GPH) was ordered to close following eight patients testing positive.

[82] The disagreement over test protocols, outcomes and use of accredited laboratories risked escalating to a matter of national security.