Opposition calls for action as Covid-19 cases spike in Namibia

Namibia’s opposition leader McHenry Venaani has called on President Hage Geingob to lock down the country as Covid-19 cases surge.

RUSTENBURG, June 14 (ANA) – Namibia’s opposition leader McHenry Venaani has called on President Hage Geingob to lock down the country for two weeks in an attempt to cut the rapid spread of Covid-19.

On his social media platforms, the leader of the Popular Democratic Movement said Geingob should “act without delay” to stem the rising tide of Covid-19 infections and deaths in Namibia.

“We must take measures to control this catastrophe… Some areas must urgently go under lockdown at least for 14 days,” Venaani tweeted on Monday.

“We should limit gatherings to no more then 25 persons for two weeks… one thousand infections a day is unmanageable,” he said.

Geingob was expected to address the nation on the Covid-19 situation in the country on Monday night, according to Namibian media reports.

According to the Ministry of Health, 1,045 cases and 18 deaths were reported on Thursday. The figure climbed to 1,432 cases and five deaths on Friday, then dropped to 1,399 cases with 20 deaths on Saturday, and on Sunday 884 cases and two deaths were reported.

Daily newspaper New Era reported that Health Minister Dr Kalumbi Shangula said last week that the country’s mortuaries were full to capacity as Covid-19-related deaths increase.

The country reportedly recorded 163 deaths from June 1 to 12.

Radio station Eagle FM Namibia reported on Monday that Tourism Minister Pohamba Shifeta has lost a son due to Covid-19.

Daily newspaper The Namibian reported that Transport Minister John Mutorwa has been admitted to the Roman Catholic Hospital in Windhoek after testing positive for Covid-19.

He has been in hospital since Friday.

South African media reported at the weekend that six elderly people died of Covid-19 days after touring Namibia. Four of them died in Windhoek and the other two died in South Africa.

The group of 40, of whom 37 tested positive, reportedly left South Africa on May 10 after presenting letters that showed they were all negative.

The United States’ national public health agency, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has warned people against travelling to Namibia.

In a notice on its website, the centre said people must make sure they are fully vaccinated before travelling to Namibia and that even fully vaccinated travellers may be at risk of contracting and spreading Covid-19 variants.

– African News Agency (ANA); Editing by Yaron Blecher