Government has announced the evacuation of athletes and officials who participated in the just ended (rescheduled 2020) Lesotho African Union Sports Council Region 5 Youth Games in Maseru.
This follows the news that 22 members who include 16 athletes and 6 officials have tested positive for COVID-19 while in Lesotho.
The development was announced on Monday, December 13, 2021 in a joint statement issued by the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit – DMMU in the Office of the Vice President, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Youth, Sports and Arts.
DMMU National Coordinator Dr. Gabriel Pollen said government has arranged to evacuate the Zambian athletes and officials from Lesotho into the country using the Zambia Air Force aircraft.
Dr. Pollen said the first group will arrive in the country this evening while members of the team affected by the COVID-19 pandemic is expected to be evacuated on a different aircraft which will arrive tomorrow, December 14, 2021.
Speaking at the same briefing, Ministry of Youth, Sport and Arts Permanent Secretary Chileshe Kangwa who represented the Minister disclosed that 22 out of the 162 athletes and officials that travelled to Lesotho for the games have tested positive for COVID-19.
Mr. Kangwa said the 22 affected members of the Zambian team have mild symptoms and are currently in quarantine awaiting to be evacuated from Lesotho.
And Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary for Technical Services Prof. Lackson Kasonka told journalists that all the travelling athletes and officials will be screened upon arrival this evening.
Prof. Kasonka said government has also prepared to screen the 22 athletes who tested positive for COVID-19 and ensure they are quarantined upon arrival for them to continue receiving medical attention.
He assured the nation and the families of the athletes and officials to remain positives as government is making frantic efforts to ensure all athletes are safely brought back home.
He has since encouraged all sport federations and organizers to adhere to the COVID-19 guidelines and ensure participants gets vaccinated.
Meanwhile, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Permanent Secretary Isabelle Lemba said government through the mission in Pretoria, South Africa, is monitoring the situation and liaising with that country to ensure the safety of its nationals.