Three reportedly breached self-isolation regulations
THE GOVERNMENT of Namibia is unable to trace a large number of people who came into contact with infected Covid-19 patients, Namibia media reported on Thursday.
According to a report in the daily newspaper Namibian Sun, the government has conceded that it does not know the whereabouts of people – potentially in their hundreds – who had come into contact with three patients who tested positive for the coronavirus.
The three reportedly breached self-isolation regulations.
According to the daily, Health Minister Kalumbi Shangula said that the numbers included the 16th confirmed infected person, who continued to work while waiting for his test results and coming into contact with more than 50 people.
His travel history was also inconsistent and it cannot be established whether it was a community transmission or imported transmission.
The 15th confirmed infected person also breached the self-isolation regulations while waiting for his results, despite being advised not to use public transport while seeking health care. The person allegedly took a taxi to the Robert Mugabe Clinic for admission to isolation on April 7.
The daily reported that Shangula also admitted the ministry had no idea what happened to about 160 passengers who landed at Hosea Kutako International Airport earlier this month, as well as those who entered Walvis Bay and were sent home to self-isolate.
Afrikaans daily Republikein reported that 85 people arrived at Hosea Kutako International Airport and 35 others at Walvis Bay International Airport on March 26. They were kept at the arrival hall and were later allowed to leave without being screened for the coronavirus.
Namibia has recorded 16 Covid-19 cases, with three recoveries.
The novel coronavirus was first recorded in Wuhan, the capital of Central China’s Hubei province, in December 2019 and soon spread to other parts of the world.
So far there are more than 2 million confirmed cases of Covid-19 worldwide, over 134,000 deaths and just over 500,000 recoveries.
