Covid-19

Germany grants N$250m to MEFT

Germany grants N$250m to MEFT

…to mitigate pandemic effects on environment and conservation Staff Writer The German Federal Government has availed approximately N$250 million to support the Namibian Government, through the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism, in mitigating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the conservation and tourism sector. This comes as the conservation and tourism sector has been significantly affected by the loss of income from tourism, caused by worldwide lockdown measures and international travel restrictions, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Countrywide employment and vital conservation activities are in jeopardy, risking the survival of local communities, wildlife and protected areas. The funds…
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Namdeb commences COVID-19 testing

Namdeb commences COVID-19 testing

Staff Writer Given the risk of the spread of COVID-19, Namdeb has now introduced its own COVID-19 testing capacity in Oranjemund. The company said the development is part of a comprehensive response plan to safeguard the health and safety of its employees and to support the local community. “As a responsible corporate citizen, and a long-term partner of the Namibian government, Namdeb is committed to support the efforts to mitigate the impact of the pandemic. Namdeb has also been instrumental in availing and setting up isolation units in Oranjemund and Lüderitz, as well as procuring essential medical equipment such as…
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Second COVID-19 death recorded

Second COVID-19 death recorded

Staff Writer Namibia has recorded a second COVID-19 related death. Minister of Health and Social Services, Kalumbi Shangula announced on Tuesday that a 44-year old man who passed away on 11 July at home in Walvis Bay had tested positive for COVID-19 posthumously. This comes less than a week after Namibia recorded record its first death on Wednesday 8 July. “He was a known diabetic. He visited the hospital on the 7th of July 2020 at the state hospital where his blood sugar was found to be high and got stabilized. On the 10th of July 2020, he visited the…
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COVID-19 login registry App launched

COVID-19 login registry App launched

Staff Writer With the emergence of COVID-19, retail outlets and offices have been mandated to keep registers of visitors for tracing purposes should a positive case emerge. This has caused all entryways to have a book and pen for registration purposes. Lines are forming as people queue for entry as people sign-in. As a solution to solve the cumbersome process, Geratin Software Engineers (GSE) has come up with the gtCheckIn App. Below is an excerpt from an interview with the Windhoek Observer (WO). WO) Kindly introduce your company and the new Applications that you developed? GSE) Geratin Software Engineers is…
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Namibia records first COVID-19 related fatality

Namibia records first COVID-19 related fatality

Staff Writer Namibia has recorded its first COVID-19 related death after a 45-year old male died on Wednesday the 8 July, three days after presenting himself at the Walvis Bay State Hospital. This comes as it emerged the deceased was only tested for the virus after he died. He had complained of dizziness, difficulty in breathing and a cough three days after he was previously seen at a health care facility. “On the 6th July 2020, the patient’s condition deteriorated. The patient complained of respiratory ailment. He showed signs of severe renal failure and sepsis. On the 8th July 2020…
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Leonie Prinsloo is Namibia Dairies MD

Leonie Prinsloo is Namibia Dairies MD

Staff writer Leonie Prinsloo is the Managing Director (MD) of Namibia Dairies, a subsidiary of the Ohlthaver & List (O&L) Group effective 1 July 2020. Prinsloo was previously Head of Marketing at Namibia Dairies replaces Gunther Ling, who was appointed MD of Hartlief. She joined the O&L Group in 2011 as Brand Manager at Namibia Dairies. Thereafter, he was appointed the company’s Head of Marketing and also served as Acting Head of Marketing for Hartlief for three months before her promotion to MD. “I am very excited to be starting in this new role, but I know it will not…
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Govt turns to mass houses for quarantine

Govt turns to mass houses for quarantine

Staff Writer Unallocated mass houses in Walvis Bay and Swakopmund could be turned into quarantine facilities amid rising COVID-19 cases and insufficient isolation centers. “I have requested the Governor to investigate the feasibility of using the unallocated mass houses in Swakopumd and Walvis Bay to place people there. The Governor has reported that 60 mass houses are available at Walvis Bay and 100 at Swakopmund we will determine how to utilize those,” President Hage Geingob said. “Isolation of positive Covid-19 cases in terms of locations must be done in ways that do not introduce or increase harm to the community.…
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Opinion – Life is a gift from God

Given the current social and economic challenges, it is worth noting that as a nation, we face a myriad of challenges and as such we believe we should focus on these as we work together to resolve them. These challenges include: an economy in recession, the Covid-19 pandemic, gender based violence, the brutal rape of women, especially our young people and senior citizens, poverty, retrenchments which lead to job losses, disease, alcohol and drug abuse, etc. It remains our firm conviction that these are the issues that should occupy the nation’s attention and dedication. Introducing abortion on demand is a…
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We’re too relaxed about COVID-19

Thandizo Kawerama The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Namibia has shot straight up to a whopping 293 cases and counting (as of 7/2/20), this should be alarming to us but surprisingly, it’s not. It’s business as usual for the population and I’m not too sure if that’s a good or a bad thing. We definitely should not be panicking, that’s for sure. Panicking as we all learned earlier this year, leads to overcrowded grocery stores and an unnecessary shortage of hand sanitisers and other products. These are both terrible scenarios due to the nature of transmission of the virus.…
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Retrenchments could spell trouble for CoW

Retrenchments could spell trouble for CoW

Andrew Kathindi City of Windhoek (CoW) has warned that the city could be headed for trouble if retrenchments continue. The City’s Acting Strategic Executive for Finance and Customer Services, Samuel Mutonga said although CoW would be minimally affected by recent job loses as the majority of those losing jobs come from the informal settlements – a low contributor to the City’s revenues —but if the trend is extended to Windhoek’s middle and upper class, the development could spell trouble for the municipality. This comes after numerous companies around the country have been notifying their employees on their intentions to slash…
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