A Death Every Hour

But the last seven have been particularly fatal, with more than 1,000 lives lost. In August 2020, COVID-19 had claimed the lives of only six people in Botswana. At the end of December 2020, the death toll stood at 42. Botswana recorded its first case and death in March 2020. The death toll remained unchanged, with the next casualties in June.

Despite a rise in infections, the country recorded 42 deaths in 276 days, which was up to the end of December 2020. But there was a rapid acceleration in the death rate after the festive season, with the country recording its then, highest monthly tally of 106 in January. February proved even more deadly with 184 lives lost as the country battled to contain a second wave.