Clothing stores remain closed

The Minister of Investment Trade and Industry, Peggy Serame has said that clothing shops will remain closed during this lockdown.

Minister Serame was responding to a request from the public concerned about clothing for the new born babies.

She said government was working with the Ministry of Health and Wellness to assist mothers whose new born babies do not have clothes.

Serame pleaded with parents whose children have outgrown their clothes to continue dresseing the children in the same ill fitting clothes until the president makes an announcement concerning the opening of shops.

“Schools are closed and your children stay at home so use their old clothes and blankets to keep them warm since we are approaching winter season. We have a responsibility to protect both children and expectant mothers against covid-19 so clothes shops will remain closed. We do not want mothers and their new born babies to be infected by the virus. Most of clothing shops sell adults clothes so if we open, all shops will want to open. We have received donations of clothes of infants and we will distribute them across all DHMTs,” said Serame

She said as a woman she understood that a woman can give birth before the expected time but she also knew that mothers always buy clothes forunborn babies in advance.

The Minister said in case of emergency, hospitals will provide clothes from the donated lot and went on to encourage expectant mothers to register in clinics so the ministry would know where to distribute accordingly.

‘There has always been an arrangement for emergency births in our hospitals so they will continue with the help. We are engaging with the relevant stakeholders and individuals on how best they can assist. As we speak we have mothers who have already had emergency births and they have benefited from this arrangement. They received clothes for the new born at the hospital. I therefore urge Batswana to join hands with the government to fight the spread of this virus. I must also emphasise that lockdown is not for six months but State of Emergency is’ she said.