May 13: More recoveries, ex-prez leads local donors
Botswana currently has twenty-four confirmed cases of which there are six active cases with seventeen recoveries (five news) and one death.
Support for governments efforts to combat the virus has also seen a surge in financial donations into the COVID-19 fund. Ex-President Festus Mogae and his wife were among the latest donors.
Former President Mogae and Barbra Mogae, this morning donated P100 000 to the covid-19 relief fund. The Vice President received donations worth over P964 000, from different organizations and individuals to help government combat Covid-19, government confirmed on May 12.
The money donated will be used to buy medical equipment that will be used to fight Covid-19, the veep added. Other contributors included:
Ghana Community in Botswana = P100 000
Botswana Tribal Association = P10 000
Botswana Democratic Party Womens Wing = P153 000
Mazars Audit firm = P201 000
Former MPs Association = P30 000
Awil College = P20 000 and television content worth P1.6 million,
Kerala Semajam Botswana = P250 000
Old Apostolic Church who donated Personal Protective Equipment worth = P100 220
May 11: capital Gaborone declared high-risk area, quarantined
Government on Monday declared the capital Gaborone a high-risk area and advised residents to limit their movements from henceforth. It also suspended the pink permits which allowed for movement into and outside of the capital.
A statement issued by Dr. Kereng Masupu, coordinator of the presidential task force on COVID-19 read: Following the confirmed COVID-19 case of a truck driver who came into Gaborone through the Tiokweng border on Sunday 09 May 2020
... the COVID-19 Presidential Task Force would like to advise the public that only those who have been issued Pink Permits for travel into and out of Gaborone are suspended with immediate effect until further notice.
This therefore declares Gaborone a high-risk area and members of the public are strongly advised to limit their movements.
The statement further disclosed that efforts were underway with respect to contact tracing along the route that the infected driver travelled. The patient is on admission at the Sir Ketumile Masire Hospital.
Those holding Essential Service permit will be allowed to travel into and outside of Gaborone except for those holding the pink Permit, the statement further clarified.
PINK PERMITS SUSPENDED #LetsDefeatCOVID19Together#AReFenyengCOVID19Mmogo ?? pic.twitter.com/3kV4TUn5J2 Botswana Government (@BWGovernment) May 11, 2020
May 10: Regulations on resumption of road transport
Road transport is returning across the country in the wake of eased lockdown measures. President Masisi in exercising his emergency powers authorized the lifting of transport restrictions from May 8 to 21st.
A gazette of the new regulations issued by government indicated that road transport was the sole beneficiary of the order as rail and air transport remained banned.
Road transport services not limited to taxi
