Namibia records third SA-linked Covid-19 case

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By Molaole Montsho Time of article published46m ago

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Rustenburg – Namibia has recorded another new Covid-19 infection case linked to South Africa, bringing to three the new cases recorded this week, local media reported on Friday.

Daily newspaper The Namibian quoted Health Minister Kalumbi Shangula as saying the three new cases were recorded in quarantine. All had travelled from South Africa, meaning they were imported cases, and brought to 19 the number of Covid-19 cases in Namibia.

He said everyone in a quarantine facility was subject to mandatory testing on day 12 of the 14-day period and results were released before the people left the facility.

Local newspaper Informanté reported that the newest patients would be transferred from a quarantine facility to an isolation unit to mitigate further spread of the virus. According to the newspaper, the total number of people currently quarantined in the country stands at 531, with 2,681 people tested.

Namibia is set to move to stage 3 of the four-stage lockdown exit plan on June 2. In stage 3, public gatherings will be restricted to a maximum of 20 people and the general population will be encouraged to work or study from home where possible. During this stage, secondary schools and universities are expected to resume face-to-face classes, while retail stores, restaurants, cafés, bars, hotels and service sector providers will reopen according to physical-distancing guidelines.

The country is also set to gradually reopen its borders to selected countries in the region, based on regularly updated outbreak information and in collaboration with the African Union (AU), the World Health Organization (WHO) and other co-ordinating agencies.

Meanwhile, The Namibian reported that 39 Angolans were stuck in Namibia after their government withdrew from an agreement that would have seen them returning home on Friday.

Air Namibia had arranged for a repatriation flight that left without the Angolan nationals and was scheduled to return tonight from a round trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia and Tanzania, with six Namibians to be airlifted from Luanda, Angola.

The Namibian embassy in Luanda has reportedly been informed by their host country’s authorities that they are not ready to receive their nationals.

Air Namibia was notified via email on Thursday night not to check any Angolans onto the repatriation flight.

African News Agency (ANA)