The Botswana government is facilitating the repatriation of 94 Batswana who have been stranded in various countries due to coronavirus-related lockdowns and travel restrictions, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Wednesday.
The ministry said the returnees are expected to arrive in Gaborone on Wednesday “on board an Ethiopian Airlines special flight” and comprise students and Batswana “who were overseas either on business or visiting”
“The passengers will be quarantined for 14 days at designated facilities in Gaborone,” the ministry said.
The returning Batswana are coming from more than 10 countries, including, Australia, Canada, China, Netherlands, United Kingdom and the United States.
This will be the first air repatriation of Batswana since the outbreak of COVID-19 a few months ago.
Other repatriation exercises have primarily been in the Southern Africa region and have so far, resulted in over 400 Batswana and permanent residents being facilitated to safely return home from South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Zambia, the ministry said.
Botswana has so far recorded 40 cases of the deadly coronavirus, out of which there has been one death.
JN/APA