Coronavirus: Botswana’s entire parliament placed under quarantine

Health worker who was testing MPs contracted the virus

All of Botswana's parliamentarians including president Mokgweetsi Masisi will be quarantined for 14 days and tested for the coronavirus, after a health worker screening politicians for the virus herself tested positive.

The health worker had checked the temperatures of some of the MPs on Wednesday during a special sitting of parliament, which was called to debate a proposal by Mr Masisi to extend a state of emergency to six months.

Lemogang Kwape, the Health Minister, told MPs on Thursday that the health worker had tested positive for Covid-19 overnight, one of seven new confirmed cases that brought the total in the southern African country to 13.

“The health worker had not shown any symptoms but had just taken a routine test. Unfortunately, the result came late on Wednesday after she was on duty at yesterday's parliament session,” Mr Kwape told the assembly, before MPs endorsed Mr Masisi's proposal to extend the state of emergency.

Malaki Tshipayagae, the Director of Public Health, instructed all the lawmakers to quarantine themselves.

Mr Masisi is himself a member of parliament and already had to self-isolate in March after a visit to Namibia.

The politicians have the option to self-isolate at home or be taken to facilities designated by the government.

Separately, regulations published in the government gazette on Thursday banned businesses from laying off staff during the state of emergency.

Trade unions estimate that more than 20,000 workers in the country have lost their jobs or been placed on unpaid leave due to the global pandemic.

Reuters