Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi on Tuesday announced that a nation-wide 28-day lockdown would come into effect on midnight on 2 April.
The emergency protocol comes shortly after Bots
wana became the 47th country in Africa to report the latest case of the COVID-19. On Monday, health and wellness minister, Lemogang Kwape, confirmed three cases of coronavirus.
Addressing the nation on Monday morning, President Masisi declared a State of Public Emergency, adding government would urgently and dramatically escalate its response to the spread of the virus.
All businesses would be closed, except for pharmacies, laboratories, banks, essential financial and payment services, supermarkets, petrol stations and health care providers.
“I have considered that 21 days would not be sufficient to employ the necessary measures to fight this pandemic… Whilst the state of emergency is in place, there shall also be extreme social distancing commencing on 2nd April 2020 at midnight, for a period of twenty-eight (28) days. This decision was by no means taken lightly. I am convinced that I make it in the best interest of our Nation,” President Masisi said.
President Masisi has summoned an urgent meeting of Parliament at which he will seek a resolution for the state of emergency to continue for a longer period.
“The reason for summoning Parliament to meet is to allow for healthy and honest debate, and also allow for Parliament to then authorise for a duration that is sufficient to fight the pandemic,” he said.
He said Botswana had moved from prevention to containment.
The three people who tested positive for the virus are currently in quarantine and recently travelled to Britain and Thailand.
According to the World Health Organisation situation report, as at midday March 31, there were 788,224 globally confirmed cases with 37,885 deaths. There have been 3,486 confirmed cases in Africa with 60 deaths.