The Chinese embassy to Botswana was on Sunday forced to react to increasing suspected cases of Coronavirus were reported in Botswana.
Scores of Botswana citizens also took to Social Media to lambast the Botswana Government for what they perceive to be the government’s failure to ban travellers from China from entering the country.
In a statement, the Chinese embassy stated that “Some Botswana citizens may be concerned about the safety of traveling to China. Parents of Botswana students who are studying in China, especially in Wuhan, are more worried.”
The embassy added that “We fully understand it and would like to take this opportunity to inform you responsibly that the Chinese government attaches high importance to the health and safety of each and every foreigner in China, especially international students, including the 21 Botswana students in Wuhan.”
After the outbreak, the embassy explained that Botswana’s Ministry of Education of China has requested the education management departments of foreign students in universities in Wuhan and other cities in China to immediately launch emergency response plans and take effective prevention measures to ensure the health of foreign students.
“Please rest assured that as long as Botswana students in China actively cooperate with the universities and strictly abide by relevant regulations, their health will not be a problem,” the embassy said.
This far Botswana has since registered five cases of suspected coronavirus. Botswana has also announced that the visa section at its embassy in China has been closed.
KO/abj/APA