By Motṧelisi Sekonyela
There has been a surge in positive Covid-19 cases among travellers entering Lesotho through the Maseru port of entry, triggering a feeling of unease as the Omicron variant gains traction in neighbouring South Africa.
Omicron is the newest variant that was first identified in Botswana and South Africa. This variant has sparked concern among scientists, health professionals and heads of states due to unusually high number of mutations that have the potential to make the virus more transmissible and less manageable by the existing vaccines.
During health minister, Semano Sekatle’s recent visit to the Maseru border post to inspect Covid-19 screening and testing, health officials confirmed the increase of positive tests among travellers.
Sekatle said Lesotho cannot help but worry as it is practically one with South Africa and there is constant movement between the two countries.
“The situation in South Africa requires us to be proactive and do things as though we are already dealing with Omicron because it is just a matter of time before it lands on our shores. Already, the number of positive cases recorded here at the border gate has increased as confirmed by the health professionals here,” he said.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has labelled Omicron has the ‘variant of concern’ and warned the risks posed by it as ‘very high’. To date, its cases have been identified in a number of countries in every continent except the Antarctica.
Echoing the minister’s sentiments, the director general of health services, Dr Nyane Letsie, said: “in the past we made the mistake of missing certain procedures and that brought great danger for us. This time we want to let no traveller inside the country with symptoms of the disease. We are going to have a doctor on standby, so that any person who tests positive will be thoroughly checked by a doctor for the new variant and taken to isolation if found with it,” Letsie said.
