ALL sporting activities have been suspended with immediate effect due to the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic that has already claimed scores of lives, the Minister of Health Motlatsi Maqelepo has announced.
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Jan. 8, 2021
STAFF REPORTER
2 min read
Govt suspends all sporting activities
Minister of Health Motlatsi Maqelepo
Speaking on LTV on Wednesday night, he said this comes after the country experienced several new cases of COVID-19 during the festive season.
Mr Maqelepo also announced the closure of all schools starting from nursery to the institutes of higher learning.
The minister said from now onwards, anyone suffering from common cold should be tested for COVID-19 since it is one of the symptoms of the pandemic.
All health clinics, he said have testing equipment to carry-out this exercise, adding that the high rate of infections in Lesotho came after South Africa introduced rapid testing at the borders, where many Basotho go for testing.
“Many Basotho migrant workers including those working in the mines and other places in South Africa who returned home for the festive season might have somehow contributed towards the surge in COVID-19 cases,” he also said.
He noted that several businesses have also temporarily halted some of their daily activities as part of precautionary measures.
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“Taxis like 4+1 will operate normally carrying four passengers plus a driver, but combis and buses will only carry seated passengers,” the minister said, adding that they however have to comply with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the National Command Secretariat (NACOSEC) safety protocols.
“In the next 14 days we will be monitoring the situation to see if the number of COVID-19 cases declines or increases,” he warned.
Lesotho has around 4 000 reported cases of COVID-19, with over 1 000 recoveries and over 70 related deaths.
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