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‘It is not time to panic’ says Geingob as 18 cases of Omicron have been detected locally

‘It is not time to panic’ says Geingob as 18 cases of Omicron have been detected locally

Eighteen cases of the Omicron variant have been confirmed in the country, the President, Dr Hage Geingob announced Monday.

Geingob on the occasion of the 37th COVID-19 public briefing on national response assured that the country will prioritize contact tracing and other measures to prevent further transmission of the Omicron variant.

According to Geingob, “It is not time to panic,” he said, adding that stricter measures will be imposed ahead of the festive season if there is no change in behaviour among the people.

The Health Minister, Kalumbi Shangula meanwhile said the ministry will continue working hand-in-hand with stakeholders to deploy the latest technologies to detect new variants in a timely fashion.

Shangula urged all eligible Namibians to go out in big numbers and get vaccinated as the country needs to achieve herd immunity to reduce the risk of circulating variants of concerns, reduce the cases of severe illness, hospitalization and deaths due to COVID19.

According to Shangula the Omicron variant was detected predominantly in the Khomas region and may be responsible for the increase in the new cases.

“From 1 to 5 December, we have recorded 695 new infections. Out of these 536 are from Khomas alone. I urge you all to remain calm, but vigilant to this invisible enemy,” he said.

Meanwhile, the government on 15 December, based on the evolving health situation may announce new measures to fight against COVID-19.


 

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