Health Alert – U.S. Embassy Gaborone, Botswana

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Location:  Botswana 

Event:  Possible Second Repatriation Flight Information

Commercial flights out of Botswana remain suspended until further notice.  The U.S. Department of State arranged a flight from Gaborone (Sir Seretse Khama Airport) to Washington, DC (IAD) on Friday, April 10, 2020.

For those who missed the flight, there will likely be a flight on Saturday, April 18 organized by the British government and routed through Addis Ababa with Ethiopian Airlines.  The cost will be approximately $3600-$4200 to fly from Gaborone to Washington, DC. The final cost will depend on the number of passengers, and the confirmation of the flight is dependent on the interest of a sufficient number of passengers.

U.S. citizens who remain interested in returning home should contact us at the following link and fill out the form carefully, then submit: 

Botswana Repatriation Request Form 

If you are travelling with others, you must complete the form for each person in your group. Entering your data into this form will add you to a list to get separate emails with flight information and logistics.  If you have already completed this form, please do not complete it again. If you have previously completed the form and no longer wish to depart Botswana, please contact us at ConsularGaborone@state.gov so we can remove you from the list.

Repatriation requests can also be made through our website at https://bw.usembassy.gov/covid-19-information/.

Please note that the situation in Ethiopia is fluid and subject to change without notice.   

Ethiopian Airlines is continuing flights from Addis Ababa until further notice.  As a result, Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa is the de facto repatriation hub for U.S. travelers.  As of Monday, March 23, 2020, the Government of Ethiopia (GoE) has instituted a mandatory 14-day quarantine procedure for all individuals entering Ethiopia.  There are two different types of passengers and at this time, they are being treated as follows: 

Ethiopia as a final destination:  Individuals must quarantine at their own expense at one of these designated hotels: 

Skylight Hotel – reservation@ethiopianskylighthotel.com or +251 116 818 181 

Ghion Hotel – info@ghionhotel.com or +251 115 513 222  

The Skylight Hotel should be the first choice since it is in close proximity to the airport. Please note that the Ghion Hotel is the less expensive hotel, but the Embassy has received numerous complaints about the condition of the hotel (no hot water, unclean, limited food) so travelers should be aware that the hotel may not meet their expectations based on U.S. standards.  

Transit Passengers: At this time, transiting commercial passengers are quarantined at one of the above hotels until it is time to return to Bole International Airport for their flight to the United States.  If a passenger arrived on a regularly-scheduled commercial flight they can remain in temporary quarantine until their next flight.  If the layover will exceed one overnight stay in Ethiopia, there is a risk in the traveler will be subject to a mandatory quarantine situation.  We strongly recommend transiting passengers make every attempt to avoid layovers requiring an overnight stay.  

Symptomatic Passengers:  If any transiting passengers appear symptomatic for COVID-19 (likely manifested through the presence of a fever), they will be taken to Bole Chefa Health clinic to be further tested.  These individuals must remain under the supervision of medical professionals within Ethiopia until cleared. Bole Chefa Health Clinic does not approximate U.S. standards for care or comfort.

In the meantime, please do not forget to register in STEP for the latest alerts and information from the U.S. Embassy in Gaborone at https://step.state.gov.    

 Actions to Take:  

Assistance: 

By | 14 April, 2020 | Topics: Alert, Consular Affairs, U.S. Citizen Services

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