Following an outcry by its citizens, Botswana on Friday confirmed that it has taken a decision to evacuate its citizens from Wuhan city in China which is the epicentre of the coronavirus.
In a statement, the Ministry of International Affairs and Cooperation says the government in Gaborone continues to monitor the plight of its citizens in Wuhan where the outbreak of the coronavirus began.
It does not say how many Batswana are in Wuhan.
The statement says relevant stakeholders should work out an evacuation plan of all Batswana in Wuhan, which covers the state of preparedness for receiving the evacuees and the modalities of evacuation.
It further states that a local company will be engaged to procure basic necessities such as food, water and face masks and facilitate delivery to the students’ places of residence, as well as the provision of psychosocial support services.
“The public is thus requested to exercise patience and understanding whilst this complex exercise is being undertaken. The public will be kept abreast about the status of implementation of these decisions,” the ministry said.
KO/as/APA