GABORONE, March 31 (Xinhua) -- Botswana's Vice President Slumber Tsogwane on Tuesday evening announced the southern African country's first death from the deadly COVID-19.
Speaking to the nation via a live broadcast on the state television (Botswana Television), Tsogwane said the death of the 79-year-old lady of Ramotswa village, some 100 km southeast of Gaborone, Botswana's capital has brought the confirmed cases of COVID-19 to four.
"She died on March 25, 2020 and medical doctors have certified the lady died of COVID-19," said Tsogwane.
Tsogwane said the deceased had travelled to neighboring South Africa on March 14 to attend a funeral and returned home the following day.
He said the deceased started showing symptoms on March 21 and eventually succumbed to the disease four days later.
According to Tsogwane, health officials in the country are currently conducting contact tracing and 14 people have been identified, screened, tested and eventually quarantined to curb the spread and transmission of the disease.
On March 30, Botswana's Minister of Health and Wellness Lemogang Kwape announced the country's first three cases of the novel COVID-19. Enditem