The Botswana government has expressed concern at the increasing daily rise in COVID-19 infections amid revelations that the country recorded more than 1,200 new cases over a 10-day period beginning at the end of September.
COVID-19 Presidential Task Force deputy coordinator Mosepele Mosepele is quoted by the state-run Daily News as saying the southern Africa country had recorded 1 228 new cases between September 24 and October 4.
This translated to a daily average of 120 cases, up from 20 per day recorded in August, Mosepele said.
Botswana has so far done well to contain the spread of the coronavirus and is one of two southern African countries with less than 5,000 confirmed cases. The other one is Lesotho, with 1,767 reported cases as of Thursday.
As of the same day Botswana had recorded 3,172 COVID-19 cases, with the capital Gaborone seen as the epicentre of the virus.
According to Mosepele, indications are that the spread of coronavirus is rampant at workplaces where employees usually gathered for meetings and ate together without adhering to COVID-19 protocols.
He advised employees to avoid converging in closed areas for lunch but to rather have meals in open spaces where they could practice social distancing.
He also called on employers to embrace the new normal of working in shifts to minimise interaction of employees.
JN/APA