Local COVID-19 transmission hits DIS offices
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Friday August 7, 2020 14:42
According to Mmegi sources, the suspected DIS officer’s wife is a teacher at the school which recently recorded eight positive cases, four being teachers and four students.
This situation forced the spy agency to close its headquarters and two other identified facilities. “It is true that our headquarters and two identified facilities have been closed to allow for fumigation. Once the exercise has been completed then we will open,” DIS spokesperson, Edward Robert said in an interview on Wednesday.
“In the meantime the health officials are doing due diligence that include contact tracing and all other health protocols established to deal with the pandemic. Only the COVID-19 task force competently talks to the question surrounding the origin of this case.”
Mmegi has established that more than 30 DIS officers are under quarantine, and some of them who have been working closely with the suspect have been tested. It is understood that some officers would be released over the weekend after being given their results and the offices would then open also.
Greater Gaborone recently saw a surge in local coronavirus transmissions and the spike forced the Ministry of Health and Wellness to call for lockdown. Meanwhile, in Mogodisthane a patient who was seen at Bokamoso Private Hospital tested positive for COVID-19 and results for contact tracing subsequently led to 21 confirmed cases in the original student’s class, with 18 cases across other classes.
The total number of infections from this case alone so far stands at 46, which translates to 36% of the cases under contact tracing investigation. The remaining cluster from the Mogoditshane case is under quarantine and awaits final assessment.
In the Gaborone case, a Motswana adult male from a family of three was diagnosed with COVID-19 at Gaborone Private Hospital, and consequently the rest of the family tested positive.