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Namibia records 13 COVID-19 related deaths in 24 hrs

Namibia records 13 COVID-19 related deaths in 24 hrs

By Clifton Movirongo.

The Health Minister Hon Dr. Kalumbi Shangula on Wednesday 6 January announced 13 new COVID-19 deaths, as the country’s COVID-19 cases continue to surge.

The minister also announced that in the last 24 hrs the country recorded 432 new COVID-19 confirmed cases.

The second COVID-19 wave is proving to be more fierce as staggering numbers have been reported in the last two months and of the 13 COVID-19 deaths, 10 people had comorbidities.

“Seven are from Windhoek district, two from Gobabis district and 1 each from Walvis bay, Rehoboth, Oshakati, Keetmanshoop districts,” Shangula said.

According to the minister, there is a 26% positivity ratio of the 432 new COVID-19 confirmed cases in the 1 648 results in the last 24 hours and among the confirmed cases, 29 are healthcare workers.

Windhoek recorded the highest numbers of cases with 208 which represents 48% of all confirmed cases and the Windhoek district cases are sporadically located throughout all suburbs.

“We continue to received confirmed cases who are learners, teachers and students during their holidays. Of the total new confirmed cases, 183, 42% are contacts to confirmed cases. This underscores the important of contact tracing. 276, 64% are symptomatic,” he added.

Shangula said the emergence of new COVID-19 variants and its higher speed of transmission in some countries is very worrying, adding that our neighbor South Africa, recently detected a new SARS-CoV-2 variant, which appears to transmit more easily and is likely linked to the ongoing surge of COVID-19 infections in that country.

“As Namibia currently have no data about these new variants, the MoHSS is conducting whole genomic sequencing analysis to identify the COVID-19 variants,” he said, adding that the public should continue to adhere to the correct health protocols.

Meanwhile the country currently has a recovery rate of 84%, as figures stand at 22,200.

As of today, the cumulative number of confirmed cases currently stand at 26,319 while the total number of active cases stand at 3881. The total number of COVID-19 related deaths now stand at 235.


 

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