Botswana has been listed among the countries that have been placed under a travel ban by its former colonizer, the United Kingdom to protect against the spread of the new COVID-19 variant.
This follows an announcement by the Botswana Government that the new strain of the COVID-19 virus known as 501v2 variant has been detected in the country.
The 501v2 which is easily transmissible was first detected in neighbouring South Africa.
As of 11 January, information gleaned from the World Health Organisation (WHO), shows that Botswana has recorded 16, 051 COVID-19 cases and 48 deaths.
According to a document from the UK government website, entry into England will be banned to those who have travelled from or through any southern African country in the last 10 days, including Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Eswatini, Zambia, Malawi, Lesotho, Mozambique and Angola – as well as Seychelles and Mauritius.
The UK has therefore also removed Botswana, Seychelles and Mauritius from the travel corridor list, with the changes coming into place from 4am on Saturday 9 January 2021.
The move, in addition to the travel ban imposed on South Africa on 23 December 2020, follows new data on the steep rise in incidence of the new variant, that has vastly increased the risk of community transmission between 9 other southern African countries as well as the Seychelles and Mauritius, which both have strong travel links with South Africa. Urgent restrictions are therefore now needed to prevent the spread of this strain in the UK.
The measures will be in place for an initial period of 2 weeks while the scientific data and alternative ways to protect the UK and our partners in Africa are reviewed.
Any exemptions usually in place – including for those related to employment – will not apply and those British nationals arriving into England from the other southern African countries, Seychelles and Mauritius after 4am on Saturday 9 January cannot be released from self-isolation through Test to Release. People sharing a household with anyone self-isolating from these countries will also have to self-isolate for 10 days.
