But a health ministry advisory says good personal hygiene and self-quarantining are of the essence
GOSEGO MOTSUMI
The Forbes Under-30 Africa Summit that is slated for April 19-23 in Gaborone and Kasane will continue as planned despite fears over the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), the vice president of Corporate Communications at Forbes, Laura Brusca, has said.
As the number of coronavirus cases continues to grow globally, the events industry is starting to take a hit, with a number of conferences around the world being canceled or postponed.
Said Brusca in an interview: “The safety of our attendees and employees is of utmost importance to us. Our team is closely monitoring and following the COVID-19 recommendations from the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organisation. We will continue to monitor and share updates with our attendees in real-time as the situation develops.”
The Forbes Under-30 Africa Summit will bring together 600 young entrepreneurs and game changers from Africa, Asia, Europe and the US for mentorship, networking and important conversations centred around sustainability, innovation and entrepreneurship.
Of the 600 participants, one third will come from 30 Under-30 African community, one third from Botswana and one-third from the Forbes 30 Under 30 community worldwide. The Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry, which is co-ordinating preparations of the summit, had not responded to a questionnaire sent at the time of going to press last night. However, the Chief Public Relations Officer of the ministry, Potso Thari, confirmed that the preparations were ongoing.
There are two suspected cases of coronavirus in Botswana that are awaiting results from the regional lab in South Africa at present. The suspected cases follow the first five registered late in January that subsequently tested negative. The Ministry of Health and Wellness has issued an advisory for travellers from countries affected by COVID-19 in which good personal hygiene and mandatory self-quarantining for all arriving travellers for a period of 14 consecutive days at their places of residence are advised.
The coronavirus outbreak continues its remorseless spread around the globe. By Monday afternoon this week, the virus had infected over 111 262 and killed more than 3 800 people around the world.