Covid-19: Botswana's president, all MPs quarantined
The President of Botswana, Mokgweetsi Masisi. He will be quarantined, along with his whole cabinet. PHOTO | AFP
What you need to know:
- Botswana's House of Assembly was sent into panic on Thursday after revelations about the healthcare worker.
- The country has 13 confirmed cases and one death so far.
- The news was revealed to all MPs during a debate on the country’s state of emergency.
Botswana's President Mokgweetsi Masisi has been quarantined, along with his whole cabinet and the entire parliament, after a nurse who was testing legislators for coronavirus was later confirmed positive.
Botswana's House of Assembly was sent into panic on Thursday after revelations about the healthcare worker.
A Batswana legislator confirmed to this writer that all MPs will undergo 14 days of quarantine after they came into contact with the nurse on Wednesday.
Botswana Congress Party (BCP) leader Dumelang Saleshando on Thursday confirmed the development.
The country has 13 confirmed cases and one death so far.
Minister for Health Dr Lemogang Kwape in an update on Covid-19 confirmed that one of the seven new cases was "a health worker who was based at Block 8 clinic and yesterday was on duty at Parliament."
The news was revealed to all MPs during a debate on the country’s state of emergency, which Mr Masisi has proposed extending to six-months.
Mr Saleshando had rejected President Masisi’s proposed extension.
Dr Malaki Tshipayagae, Director of Health Services, has recommended that everyone will be quarantined.
"Everyone who was here (in parliament) has to undergo mandatory quarantine from here. They are all casual contacts. They're not going home," he said.
Dr Kwape has urged the nation to remain calm and to continue following directives from health officials.
He said health professionals will also advise Parliament on how they are to proceed, considering that some of the members interacted with the health worker.
