President Mokgweetsi Masisi of Botswana on Thursday began a 14-day self-isolation after an official working closely with him tested positive for COVID-19, the country’s office of the president said in a statement.

“The Office of the President regrets to inform that due to the discovery of a positive COVID-19 test result last night on one of the officials closely serving His Excellency, President Mokgweetsi Masisi, the COVID-19 precautionary protocols have been activated resulting in the immediate self-quarantine,” said Andrew Sesinyi, the government communications’ permanent secretary in a statement.

This is the fourth time Masisi is quarantining since the registration of the first confirmed case of the deadly pandemic in the southern African country on March 30, 2020.

Some of Masisi’s inner circle of officials have also entered into self-isolation, as a precautionary measure to curb the spread and transmission of the disease caused by the highly virulent coronavirus.

The diamond-rich nation with an approximate population of 2.2 million people has recorded 227 confirmed cases and one death. At least 181 confirmed cases have been transferred out since they are of foreign nationals who were either visiting Botswana or on transit.

Meanwhile, members of the public have been urged to continue to take precautions to protect themselves against the virus including washing of hands with water and soap, social distancing and using hand sanitizer where possible. – Source: Xinhua