Covid-19: Battered Namibia turning the corner
JEMIMA BEUKES
WINDHOEK
Namibia is finally beginning to see light at the end of the tunnel after a vicious third wave of Covid-19 that saw record numbers of people dying.
Averaging 14 deaths and 1 500 new cases per day over the last three months, the wave was fuelled by the deadly Delta variant.
According to Worldometer data, it appears Namibia reached the peak of its third wave around 21 June, with 2 602 positive cases.
Daily positive cases remain above 1 000 a day, and the majority of these are unvaccinated, with only a handful of new cases inoculated with the first doses of the Covid-19 vaccine.
Health minister Dr Kalumbi Shangula said the country is unlikely to see increases in new cases and is expected to see a gradual decline in new cases and deaths.
Shangula emphasised that transmission is only broken when human interaction is limited as current regulations and curfews require.
Stabilisation
“We expect a steady decline to set in; the decline has not yet been expressed in a form of a trend. We have to look at the mode of transmission and infections to see what has contributed to the decline. “The lockdown and curfew have definitely contributed to the stabilisation of the transmission,” he said.
Shangula also added that the increase in vaccinations over the last two weeks has contributed to the decline in numbers.
Double barrier
Meanwhile, World Health Organisation (WHO) regional director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, over the weekend said the double barrier of vaccine scarcity and treatment challenges seriously undermines the fight against Covid-19.
Namibia received 250 000 additional Sinopharm vaccine doses over the weekend and will resume its vaccination rollout from today.
More vaccines are expected to be delivered this week, including the remaining doses bought through the Covax facility.
According to the United Nations, around 190 million extra Covid-19 vaccine doses will be needed to fully vaccinate 10% of the Africa’s population by September 2021, with around 750 million more doses needed to fully vaccinate 30% by the end of 2021.
[email protected]
WINDHOEK
Namibia is finally beginning to see light at the end of the tunnel after a vicious third wave of Covid-19 that saw record numbers of people dying.
Averaging 14 deaths and 1 500 new cases per day over the last three months, the wave was fuelled by the deadly Delta variant.
According to Worldometer data, it appears Namibia reached the peak of its third wave around 21 June, with 2 602 positive cases.
Daily positive cases remain above 1 000 a day, and the majority of these are unvaccinated, with only a handful of new cases inoculated with the first doses of the Covid-19 vaccine.
Health minister Dr Kalumbi Shangula said the country is unlikely to see increases in new cases and is expected to see a gradual decline in new cases and deaths.
Shangula emphasised that transmission is only broken when human interaction is limited as current regulations and curfews require.
Stabilisation
“We expect a steady decline to set in; the decline has not yet been expressed in a form of a trend. We have to look at the mode of transmission and infections to see what has contributed to the decline. “The lockdown and curfew have definitely contributed to the stabilisation of the transmission,” he said.
Shangula also added that the increase in vaccinations over the last two weeks has contributed to the decline in numbers.
Double barrier
Meanwhile, World Health Organisation (WHO) regional director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, over the weekend said the double barrier of vaccine scarcity and treatment challenges seriously undermines the fight against Covid-19.
Namibia received 250 000 additional Sinopharm vaccine doses over the weekend and will resume its vaccination rollout from today.
More vaccines are expected to be delivered this week, including the remaining doses bought through the Covax facility.
According to the United Nations, around 190 million extra Covid-19 vaccine doses will be needed to fully vaccinate 10% of the Africa’s population by September 2021, with around 750 million more doses needed to fully vaccinate 30% by the end of 2021.
[email protected]
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