Festive lockdown irks Batswana
Batswana reject festive lockdown, vow to disobey authorities Dr Masupu: No plan to lockdown in December, but anything is possible
Batswana are growing anxious to know if the Covid-19 taskforce team will impose a lockdown to restrict movements during the festive season.
Allegations of a possible lockdown have been rife lately, causing panic to those wishing to travel home during the Christmas holidays. Health authorities allowed for all to travel home during the Presidents’ Day holidays in July this year, after which Botswana noticed a spike in local cases a few weeks down the line.
The Covid- 19 taskforce team has on several occasions attributed the rising number of cases to the free movement of people during that period. Thus most were confined to their homes during the Independence holidays in September - a deliberate measure to minimise the spread of the virus locally.
As of this past Tuesday, Botswana had close to 8 000 local cases and a total death toll of 30 since the start of the pandemic. Botswana records more than 100 cases on a daily basis.
“Movements during the festive season will follow the existing protocols of applying for permits. Changes, if any, will be communicated in due course,” coordinator of the presidential Covid-19 taskforce team Kereng Masupu told The Midweek Sun on what is likely to happen this December.
Masupu said that the country is currently
relaxing movement restrictions on international travel through both airports and a few selected borders. He said this was an indication that the country intended to facilitate movement of people amidst the rising number of cases.
For now, they cannot reveal the stringent measures planned in case the situation changes for the worst, but such measures remain available options.
He added that the Task Force never plans for lockdowns but it is informed by prevailing circumstances of COVID-19 which are often difficult to predict or foretell.
Batswana are therefore encouraged to take personal responsibility of their health by changing their behaviour patterns, particularly those which put them at increased risk of contracting COVID-19.
He explained that lockdowns are implemented to contain the rapid spread of COVID-19 when there is an uncontrollable surge in cases.
The Task Force he said, considers other factors such as the country’s economy before imposing a lockdown.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Health and Wellness Edwin Dikoloti has told a local publication that they are busy at work devising a plan to control movements during the festive season.
He was quoted as having said Batswana should not be worried about spending Christmas break away from their loved ones. Instead they should sacrifice and shelve their holiday plans.
Meanwhile Naomi Sewela, 29, says lockdown is totally unnecessary, “Whether it’s restricting movement across zones or not we will be disrupted as we are trying to learn how best to live with the virus, lockdown is like inflicting more stress on the people, businesses and the economy,” she said.
Jonase Letsweletse said lockdown should not be an option if Botswana wants to stabilise the economy which has been greatly impacted. He added that people have already made bookings to various places of tourist attraction which was hit hard and is only now trying to recover.
Letsweletse added that it is now ploughing season and Batswana will need to take advantage of expected rains. It is also breeding season for domestic animals hence farmers need to travel to their cattle posts and farms. With borders opening early next month, it can only mean tourists are readying to come to Botswana.
Several others who spoke to this publication were equally against the idea of a lockdown. Saying the task force needs to be smart. They advised on finding other ways of ensuring compliance than declaring a lockdown.
They say they have lost trust in the government already and are slowly becoming rebellious to almost anything put on the table because people are hungry. Many vow to refuse to stay home even if the task force imposes a lockdown for the Christmas and New Year’s Day holidays. They say in any case, they will be loaded enough financially to pay the related hefty fines.