A young lady gets a jab of COVID-19 vaccine in Mmopane village, Botswana, Jan 17, 2022.(Photo by Tshekiso Tebalo/Xinhua)
Botswana is likely to enter its fifth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, health authorities warned Monday, as the numbers of the cases have been on the rise.
GABORONE, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Botswana is likely to enter its fifth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, health authorities warned Monday, as the numbers of the cases have been on the rise.
Pamela Smith-Lawrence, health services director in Botswana's Ministry of Health, revealed this when appearing before the southern African country's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in Gaborone, the capital city of Botswana.
Students wearing masks walk to school as a new academic year begins in Gaborone, Botswana, Jan. 11, 2022. (Photo by Tshekiso Tebalo/Xinhua)
"The country was seemingly entering a fifth wave," Smith-Lawrence stated to the PAC, the body made up of Botswana's legislators, as a measure to ensure public financial accountability.
Grace Muzila, the permanent secretary in Botswana's Ministry of Health, also told the PAC that health authorities were seriously concerned about the numbers of cases and admissions in recent weeks.
According to the Ministry of Health, 635 new cases were reported during May 22 to May 25 with 2 deaths. As of May 31, Botswana has reported 30,126 cases.
The Latest figures indicate that the rate for fully vaccinated people has been stagnant at 62 percent for some time now while for boosters is still less than 40 percent. ■
