from TSOANELO MOKHAHLANE in Maseru, Lesotho
Lesotho Bureau
MASERU, (CAJ News) – A NEW COVID-19 management app is poised to empower and strengthen efforts to end transmissions of the pandemic in Lesotho.
South Africa’s Tafari Capital recently launched the app in collaboration with the Lesotho government.
In less than three weeks since the Citizen App’s launch, more than 50 000 users have registered.
Dr Thabo Lehlokoe, Chairman at Tafari Capital, explained the app enabled government and businesses to open up economic activity in the country.
It helps identify people who have vaccinated fully and those who are unvaccinated but have negative COVID-19 tests to openly engage in economic activity.
The Citizen App functions as a government-led COVID-19 one stop shop for all related information.
Users can access their vaccine certificates, COVID-19 test results, heat maps, surveys, test sites, clinics and hospitals, patient management, resource management and social and economic tools.
“The pandemic may be low now, but COVID-19 is by no means over,” Lehlokoe cautioned.
“In fact, in other countries the infection numbers are slowly ticking up and we have been informed that a new variant has been identified in South Africa and other countries.”
Lesotho has confirmed over 32 900 COVID-19 cases, including 697 deaths.
Minister of Health, Semano Sekatle, said the application will help eliminate previously experienced errors in monitoring vaccination data.
“It will also play a huge role in assisting our country’s economic recovery efforts, as the country still faces challenges– exacerbated by COVID-19,” Sekatle said.
The Lesotho government has, among other measures, mandated the use of COVID-19 certificates to prove vaccination, recovery, or a recent negative test.
– CAJ News