Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi is in mandatory self-isolation after testing positive for COVID-19.
Botswana government spokesperson John Dipowe said Masisi received the result after routine testing.
“Members of the public are assured that his excellency the president does not have any symptoms and will continue to receive close medical monitoring by his medical doctors,” Dipowe said. “The self-isolation is a precautionary measure in accordance with Botswana’s COVID-19 health protocols.”
This is the first time Masisi has tested positive, although he has gone into self-isolation as a precaution on several occasions.
In April 2020, Botswana placed its entire cabinet and MPs in quarantine after a health worker screening legislators for coronavirus was found to be infected with COVID-19.
In Masisi’s absence, Vice President Slumber Tsogwane will act as president.
New coronavirus infections have risen sharply in the diamond-rich Southern African country since the detection of the Omicron variant late last year, to an average of 2,500 every three days from under 300 over the same period before Omicron.
But health officials say hospitalisations have not spiked.
