Botswana has extended by one week the nationwide lockdown that was due to end on April 30, 2020 in a bid to further curb the spread of COVID-19.
The President, Mokgweetsi Masisi revealed that the extension was agreed upon after receiving advice from health experts following an increase in local transmissions.
The extension, which begins on May 1 will end on May 7, 2020, followed by two weeks of successively easing restrictions.
The extension of the current lockdown will be implemented in three phases with phase one having the extension of the current lockdown period conditions by one week and the government developing and finalizing regulations for a phased lifting of lockdown rules in low risk sectors.
Phase two would start from May 8 to May 14, 2020 with the government lifting, in a phased manner, some lockdown rules while at the same time introducing additional plans for further lifting of the remaining lockdown rules.
In phase three, the final phase, which will run from May 15 to 22, 2020, the government will lift the remaining rules from the original lockdown rules implemented on March 31, 2020.
As of 28 April 2020, Botswana has recorded 22 cases of COVID-19, including one death.
