Botswana quarantines suspected coronavirus victim in Gaborone

The government of Botswana announced on Friday that it was investigating its first suspected case of coronavirus.

Botswana's ministry of health and wellness said in a statement: “Botswana registered its first ever suspected case of coronavirus on January 30 2020.”

The suspected case was registered at Sir Seretse Khama International Airport after the arrival of an Ethiopian Airways flight from China.

The suspected person is now under quarantine at Block 8 Clinic in Botswana's capital,  Gaborone.

Botswana's government urged travellers to take precautionary measures, including:

• If travelling, practise good hygiene and avoid affected and crowded places.
• If you experience fever, cough, difficulty in breathing, fatigue and headache, seek medical attention and share travel history with a health care provider.
• Passengers and crew who experience symptoms while travelling should at the nearest destination ask for prompt health care assistance; and
• Make sure that you are screened at points of entry for early diagnosis and treatment.

“The ministry continues to monitor the situation closely in consultation with World Health Organisation (WHO) and will keep the public updated.”

The WHO declared the virus a global health emergency on Thursday.

The South African government announced on Friday that there had been no reported or clinical evidence of the virus in SA and added that it would not be initiating any emergency evacuations of citizens in China.

Kenya Airways has suspended all flights to and from China until further notice.