The Ministry of Health suspended some health services provided in hospitals and clinics, to avoid the spread of coronavirus in Lesotho last Friday.

In a Memo released on Friday, the Director General of Health Services in the Ministry of Health Dr. ‘Nyane Letsie, said the World Health Organisation (WHO), declared a novel coronavirus also known as COVID-19 pandemic, on the 11th March 2020, and that until now Lesotho has not reported any case of the virus.

She said the Government of Lesotho has taken steps to prevent transmission of the virus in their communities, by declaring a state of emergency with respect to this pandemic, which threatens the lives of people in Lesotho, and by declaring nation-wide lock-down starting from the 29th March to the 21st April 2020.

Dr. Letsie requested health care workers to maintain and continue, uninterrupted essential HIV services at all health facilities, during the COVID-19 lock-down period.

The suspended health services are all community-based HIV services that demand creation and health education activities and the gathering of people, all community-based HIV testing or outreach activities, and all voluntary male medical circumcision.