Air Namibia and NAC head offices on lockdown

ELLANIE SMIT
WINDHOEK

Both Air Namibia and the Namibia Airports Company (NAC) have announced that their head offices will be on lockdown for 14 days to investigate possible exposure to the coronavirus.
The investigation stems from possible contact with coronavirus case number 33, the South African fugitive who was arrested at a block of flats on Windhoek’s Independence Avenue.
The NAC has confirmed that one of its staff members lives in the building.
Case number 33, Immanuel David, crossed the Orange River in a canoe on 12 June.
He was allegedly aided and abetted by the acting CEO of the National Fishing Corporation of Namibia (Fishcor), Paulus Ngalangi, and an unidentified officer attached to the Namibian police’s tourism unit at Lüderitz.

Precaution
The acting CEO of Air Namibia, Elia Erastus, said one of Air Namibia’s personnel visited the NAC head office on 15 June.
“The suspected officer has been on duty since then and has been mingling with other employees for five days. On 18 June the colleague participated in an urgent meeting that involved more than ten managers and line supervisors, some of whom are from the said company.”
The Air Namibia head office was disinfected yesterday and was declared a restricted area until 5 July.
Erastus further said that Integrated Operations Control Centre officers, flight operations personnel and security officers will be provided with personal protective equipment (PPE).
“Considering that Air Namibia is an essential service provider, and except the aforementioned personnel, of which only a skeleton team is required, all other personnel are required to immediately work from home, for immediate self-isolation for 14 days and adhere to the coronavirus regulations.”
The NAC said its head office would be on lockdown until 6 July.
“The decision comes after careful consideration of the possible risk of exposure as one of our employees that works at the head office resides at 77 on Independence that was reported as one of the places the coronavirus case number 33 visited,” said NAC CEO Bisey Uirab.