The president of Botswana, one of the first two countries with neighboring South Africa to detect the Omicron variant, has been placed in isolation after testing positive for Covid
The president of Botswana, one of the first two countries with neighboring South Africa to have detected the Omicron variant, has been placed in isolation after testing positive for Covid, the government said in a statement on Monday. “The president has no symptoms and is under close medical monitoring,” he said, adding that Mokgweetsi Masisi tested positive during a routine check-up. Vice-President Slumber Tsogwane will replace him until further notice, the government said.
Omicron, a highly contagious variant with multiple mutations that raise concerns about vaccine resistance, was first identified in Botswana and South Africa at the end of November. Botswana recently announced that it is launching the booster campaign for people already vaccinated and lowering the vaccination age of children to 12 years.
Omicron is at the origin of a new wave of pandemic in the world, where it is currently present in a hundred countries, according to the WHO. Extremely contagious, it affects people who have been vaccinated as well as those who have already been infected with the virus. As many countries announce tightening of health restrictions, with record cases of new daily infections, South Africa announced this week that it had passed the peak of the Omicron wave and eased health restrictions.
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