Andrew Kathindi
It has emerged that permit holders from Erongo have been able to leave the region without being tested for COVID-19 since stage 1 lockdown was re-imposed by government.
This comes as the Erongo region, Walvis Bay in particular, has in the past month, emerged as an epicenter for COVID-19 cases in the country.
Erongo Health Director in the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS), Anna Jonas confirmed the development to the Windhoek Observer.
“This is something that needs high level intervention. But for now, what we are trying to do is to make sure that we have as few people as possible leaving the region. Hopefully this will be discussed at a high level so that people who are leaving the region can be possibly quarantined where they are going so that they don’t transmit the infection. But for now, that’s not happening, but I think that’s a discussion that needs to take place,” she said.
The region was put back under stage 1 of the lockdown by President Hage Geingob on 8 June until 22 June after it was observed that residents were not adhering to the lockdown regulations, with the latest case being of a 31-year-old Kuisebmund woman who has no travel history.
Executive Director in the Ministry of Health, Ben Nangombe explained that the ministry is not focusing on mass testing, but targeted testing.
“At no point did the ministry talk about mass testing. We talked about expanded targeted testing, which is ongoing, using the mode of active case search. The expanded targeting testing is ongoing not only in Erongo, but other parts of country. We are conducting testing on the basis of the expanded targeted testing, which means taking samples from health workers, people working in the fishing vessels and mining workers,” he told Windhoek Observer.
With only a week left before the stage 1 lockdown imposed on Erongo region is scheduled to be lifted, Namgombe explained that a team that left Windhoek on Thursday last week will provide the ministry with the necessary information it requires to make further interventions and announcements, including whether to recommend that the region’s lockdown be extended.
“There’s a team comprising technical people and senior officials in the region to do just that. Once we have the information, we will make further announcement,” he said.
Erongo region governor, Neville Andre-Itope noted a further spike in positive cases in the region will negatively impact the regions’ economy as an extension of the lockdown will most likely be the result in that case.
“Between now and 22 June, if we get 3-4 cases, for me, it will be very risky to lift the lockdown. But if we don’t see any increase or any cases, we can upgrade, but then we still have to have a serious monitoring mechanism on society. It all depends on the cases.”
He identified the movement of residents of his region as a key factor in the rise of positive cases there.
“If we do not address the minimizing of movement and we have a suspected local transition then that is a problem. Most of the cases that we have are imported, aside from the two. But the movement in the society is a challenge. People are starting to cooperate. People should start putting up precautionary measures themselves: sanitize hands at all times, keep hygiene, avoid mass gatherings and always have masks on,” the governor said.
As of Monday, Namibia has had 32 Covid-19 cases, of which 15 are active, with 5,849 tests conducted to date.
