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Botswana reinstates strict coronavirus lockdown

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Botswana has reinstated a very strict coronavirus lockdown order.

A health official said the country brought back strict coronavirus lockdown in its capital city, Gaborone, and surrounding areas after the southern African country recorded 12 new cases of the virus on Friday.

Diamond-rich Botswana just ended a 48-day national coronavirus lockdown late last month, allowing businesses and schools to reopen under controls, but its borders are still closed apart from returning citizens and imports of essential goods.

Malaki Tshipayagae, director of health services, said in a televised announcement that officials had recorded four new imported cases at its borders and other eight cases at a private hospital in Gaborone, bringing cumulative cases to 60.

“We are still to determine whether the hospital cases are local transmissions,” Tshipayagae said.

“From midnight today, the greater Gaborone area will revert to extreme social distancing until further notice and only essential services will be allowed to operate.”

Before the new cases were announced, Botswana only had one active case of the coronavirus and recorded only one coronavirus death.

But the economy has been severely hurt, with real gross domestic product seen contracting 13 percent this year while the budget deficit could be more than double.

 

 

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