CALLS TO BAN FOREIGN NATIONALS, ENTRY POINTS SHUTDOWN

MBABANE – There are calls for government to consider banning foreign nationals from coming into the country and shut down the ports of entry to minimise the risk of spreading coronavirus (Covid-19).

These were submissions made by the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) stakeholders who included the Health, Water and Sanitation, Education and Agriculture Food Security clusters.
They noted that there was a possibility of the virus being proliferated through the ports of entry and the best solution was for the country to close the borders to protect the nation.

Some of the stakeholders said the country was facing the threat of recording increased cases of Covid-19 as most of emaSwati travelled to South Africa (SA) on a daily basis and vice versa, yet cases were rapidly escalating in the neighbouring country.

Confirmed

Of note is that the country registered two suspected Covid-19 cases. The cases were confirmed by the Minister of Health, Lizzie Nkosi, in a statement that was released on Wednesday.
According to the statement, the first case was that of a 39-year-old woman who has a history of taking trips outside the country. Signs are said to have started 14 days after her return to the kingdom on March 7, 2020. Her last travel was to Denmark. The second patient, according to the statement, was a 38-year-old female who had visitors from Germany about two weeks ago. During their stay in the country, the visitors are said to have reported respiratory issues and left thereafter.

Both the suspected patients have been isolated, according to Nkosi.
Another option, according to the stakeholders, was for surveillance to be strengthened in the various ports of entry.
They said it was prudent for everyone to be thoroughly screened before being allowed to enter the kingdom. In that way, they said the spread of the virus could be minimised. Further, they noted that there was a need for informative messages to be run on radio and television for those who were in rural areas and did not have access to information. 

Statement

Sicelile Zwane, from the National Emergency Response Council on HIV and AIDS (NERCHA), said the ministry needed to issue a statement on public gatherings. Zwane said her organisation was also ready to assist using their HIV and AIDS expertise.

Responding, Vusi Lokotfwako, from the Ministry of Health, said banning foreign nationals and closing the various ports of entry would have serious implications for the country. Lokotfwako said they had been advised by the World Health Organisation (WHO) office not to shut down borders but instead strengthen surveillance and scale up health communication at community level.

Foreigners

Health Promotion Officer at WHO Dr Kevin Makadzange said viruses were spread by foreigners. Makadzange said it was the locals who contracted the viruses during their travel. He said government should be ready to protect citizens, especially because Covid-19 was hitting everywhere and it was a global challenge. “At the moment we are facing a global crisis and it is important that everyone is in an emergency mode by doing things differently.”

This, he said, included washing hands often to effectively curb the virus and germs among other precautionary measures.
He said the country was still at a pre-epidemic phase of the Covid-19 and it was important to strengthen surveillance at ports of entry. 

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