Botswana announces its first coronavirus cases

Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi, has called for calm after the country confirmed its first cases of coronavirus.

Health Minister Lems Kwape said three travellers; two of them from Thailand and the third one from the UK, tested positive for the virus.

President Masisi said his government had been preparing for the eventuality and had an action plan to keep people safe.

Botswana was among the few African countries yet to report coronavirus cases. Others include Lesotho, Comoros, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Burundi and São Tomé and Príncipe.

President Masisi urged citizens to follow safety measures that would be announced by the health authorities.

The government tweeted that the president would address the nation on Tuesday morning:

PRESIDENT MASISI TO ADDRESS THE NATION TOMORROW

"Fellow citizens, it is with a heavy heart that we’ve received the sad news from the Minister of Health and Wellness Hon. Dr. @Lems2 that we’ve had three (3) cases of #COVID19 confirmed in our country. pic.twitter.com/WokUIuESq3

— Botswana Government (@BWGovernment) March 30, 2020