Botswana has released from hospital five patients who have recovered after initially testing positive for the deadly coronavirus, an official said on Wednesday.Director of health services Malaki Tshipayagae told state-run Radio Botswana that the patients were discharged this week after testing negative for the virus that causes the acute respiratory disease COVID-19.

He said this means that Botswana now has 17 active confirmed cases, five recoveries and 1 death.

According to Tshipayagae, “recovery is when the patient will be tested twice and the results become negative.”

President Mokgweetsi Masisi has since extended by a week a national lockdown which was expected to end on 30 April as the country is preparing to exit the lockdown in phases.