COVID-19 pandemic in Botswana


This article documents the impacts of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in Botswana.

Background

On 12 January 2020, the World Health Organization 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.
The case fatality ratio for COVID-19 has been much lower than SARS of 2003, but the transmission has been significantly greater, with a significant total death toll. Model-based simulations for Botswana indicate that the 95% confidence interval for the time-varying reproduction number Rt was below 1.0 in April and the first part of May but has since increased to around 1.

Timeline

March 2020

On 30 March, the first three cases in the country were confirmed. On 25 March a 78-year-old woman who was suspected of having COVID-19 died in Ramotswa. A few days after her death, the results came back positive making it the fourth case of COVID-19 in Botswana. In a live broadcast on BTV vice president Tsogwane said tracer teams had picked up 14 other people who had been in contact with the deceased and testing has been conducted on them. The results of those who were in contact with the deceased were announced by the Minister of Health and wellness Dr. Lemogang Kwape who also announced the first three cases. At the end of the month the death toll stood at 1, the number of confirmed cases had reached 4 and there were three active cases.

April 2020

There were two new COVID-19 tests a week later and on 19 April 2020 Minister of Health Dr. Kwape announced that there were five new COVID-19 cases, two of which came from the United Kingdom and three of which were locally transmitted, making the locally transmitted cases at that time to 6.
On 22 April, two more cases were confirmed in the Metsimotlhabe-Molepolole region, bringing the total number of cases to 22. Both new cases were reported to be locally transmitted, raising the total number of locally transmitted cases to 8 at that time. On 28 April there was one more locally transmitted case.
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.
In a televised speech, Masisi extended the national lockdown by a week and a further two weeks during which the lockdown would be sequentially eased. According to the president all 21 COVID-19 patients are asymptomatic and on their way to a full recovery. The results of those who were in contact with the deceased were announced by the Minister of Health and wellness Dr. Lemogang Kwape whom also announced the first three cases, Kwape announced that 7 of the 14 were found positive bringing the total number of cases at that time to 13.
On 29 April, Botswana recorded a total of 5 recoveries.
By the end of April the total number of confirmed cases reached 23, an increase by 19 from March. The death toll remained unchanged. There were 17 active cases, 14 more than at the end of March.

May 2020

Three more recovered patients were announced on 1 May 2020.
On Thursday 7 May 2020 Botswana recorded on more COVID-19 recovery.
On Friday 8 May 2020 00:00 GMT+2 Botswana's 35 day lockdown period came to an end, the end of this period marks the beginning of the ease of the COVID-19 restrictions put in place by government for a further three weeks, with the return to work phases starting on 8 May 2020 and ending on 14 May.
On Monday 11 May 2020, Botswana recorded 1 more case. As of 12 May 2020 there have been 11,495 tests performed. Five more patients recovered, leaving six active cases. One more patient tested positive on 17 May, raising the number of active cases to 7. On 21 May four more positive tests were announced while two infected patients recovered, bringing the active cases at that time to 9. A day later on Friday 22 May 2020, Botswana recorded one case bringing the total number of new cases reported in the week beginning Sunday 17 May to six. On 24 May there were five additional cases, raising the total number to 35 and the number of active cases to 15.
By the end of May the total number of confirmed cases reached 35, an increase by 12 from April. The death toll remained unchanged. There were 14 active cases, a decrease by 18% from the end of April.

June 2020

On 1 June there were three more confirmed cases, on 2 June two more confirmed cases, on 8 June two more confirmed cases, and on 10 June six more confirmed cases. From the start of the outbreak to 10 June 48 patients had tested positive, 9 of whom were locally transmitted and 39 coming from abroad. 40 were male while 8 were female.
As of 14 June 2020 there have been a total of 24,800 tests performed.
On 12 June 2020, 12 new cases of COVID-19 were reported from the "Greater Gaborone" lockdown zone. The Botswana COVID-19 Presidential Task Force had decided to put the zone under lockdown for the second time from Saturday 13 June. This meant that schools and other non-essential services were re-closed, no movement without permits as was during the initial lockdown.
On 15 June the Task Force announced that it would end the lockdown period from Tuesday 16 June 00:00 local time as they had successfully used contact tracing to identify known contacts. Of 16 people tested, 10 tested negative, with 6 awaiting results. This decision restores travel in and out of all zones with an inter-zonal permit required where necessary.
On 13 and 14 June there were 17+2 new confirmed cases, bringing the total number of cases since the start of the outbreak to 79. The number reported on 13 June was the highest daily number of cases so far. On 19 June ten more confirmed cases were reported, raising the total number of cases to 89.
On 24 June 32 more cases were confirmed, the highest number in a single day so far, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 121. The majority, 92 persons, agreed to be repatriated to receive care in their home countries. 25 patients had recovered in Botswana, one person had died, and three cases were still active.
On 28 June 54 more cases were confirmed, the highest number reported in a single day so far, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 175. There were 52 more positive tests on 30 June, raising the total number of confirmed cases to 227. Most of these, 181 persons, had agreed to be repatriated to their home countries. 28 of the remaining 46 patients had recovered, one had died, and 17 remained active cases.

July 2020

There were 48 new confirmed cases on 3 July, raising the total number of cases to 275. Three days later 39 further cases were reported, raising the total number to 314. This rose by 85 to 399 on 12 July: the highest number of daily confirmed cases so far. There were 123 new cases on 16 July, the highest daily increase so far, raising the total number of confirmed cases to 522. Three days later there were 70 more positive tests, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 592. Four days later, on 23 July, there were 89 cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 681. 58 more cases were confirmed on 27 July, raising the total number to 739. The same day the death toll doubled to two. Two days later the number of confirmed cases increased by 65 to 804. Most of the 577 new cases during the month were repatriated to their home countries. Of the remaining 94 new cases, 35 recovered, bringing the total number of patients having recovered in Botswana to 63. There were 75 active cases at the end of the month.
On July 31 00:00 GMT+2 the Greater Gaborone zone had came under lock down for the third time after an uptick of COVID-19 locally transmitted cases. The lockdown is expected to take a period of two weeks.

Prevention

As a precautionary measure the government has banned gatherings of more than 50 people and the entry of people from countries deemed high-risk. On 24 March, the government announced that borders would be closed. Citizens of Botswana are permitted to return but must be quarantined for 14 days. There is concern, however, that people may still enter Botswana illegally from Zimbabwe by avoiding official border crossings.
All schools were closed from 20 March. Teaching resumed on 2 June.
The pandemic and travel restrictions disrupted what was to be Botswana's first elephant hunting season since 2014 and affected the diamond industry.
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. The State of Public Emergency would have come into effect from Thursday, 2 April 2020 until Thursday, 30 April 2020, days later the president wanted to extend the 28 day State of Public Emergency to a six month long State of Public Emergency which will end on Friday, 2 October 2020. The president summoned the National Assembly in order for the MPs to vote on the six-month extension. On Thursday, 9 April 2020 the National assembly voted in favour of the six-month extension by acclamation. The full presidential speech can be found here: .
With effect from 1 May 2020, wearing a face mask is compulsory when leaving one's home.
On 20 May the extreme social distancing brought in on 2 April came to an end. It was replaced by a zoning strategy combined with 13 check points between zones. There are nine COVID-19 zones: Boteti, Chobe, Ghanzi, Greater Francistown, Greater Gaborone, Greater Palapye, Greater Phikwe, Maun, Kgalagadi. On July 31 the Greater Gaborone zone came under lock down.
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. After comprehensive testing with negative results they were able to open again on 17 June and 18 June.
Also on 12 June, Gaborone Private Hospital was ordered to close following eight patients testing positive. All eight tests were later declared negative by the COVID-19 Task Force Team after additional testing and the hospital was allowed to open again from 15 June. GPH has subsequently insisted on its original positive test results. The disagreement over test protocols, outcomes and use of accredited laboratories risked escalating to a matter of national security.