Botswana says no rise in hospitalisation from Omicron, 70% vaccinated

Botswana has not experienced a rise in hospitalisations despite being one of the first countries to detect the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, and has managed to fully vaccinate 71% of its 1.3 million eligible population, the health minister said on Wednesday.

Botswana has not experienced a rise in hospitalisations despite being one of the first countries to detect the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, and has managed to fully vaccinate 71% of its 1.3 million eligible population, the health minister said on Wednesday. The heavily mutated variant has caused alarm among scientists and governments and is widely expected to become dominant because of its high transmissibility. It has spread to at least 57 countries.

"Currently we only have one person in ICU (intensive care). But there is trend that we have noticed which is that those that get seriously ill have not been vaccinated," Health Minister Edwin Dikoloti told a news conference.