First corona case in SA, Namibians to stay put in China
Namibian authorities have decided not to evacuate the 500 Namibians in China to limit the risk of importing the coronavirus into the country.
Health minister Dr Kalumbi Shangula said in parliament on Wednesday that none of the Namibians in China have been infected with the virus, adding there is a greater risk of infection during transit.
The virus crept closer to Namibia's borders yesterday with a first case conformed in South Africa.
A 38-year-old man has tested positive for the COVID-19 virus in KwaZulu-Natal.
The man recently travelled to Italy and has been in self-isolation since.
Over 90 000 coronavirus cases have been confirmed worldwide. More than 3 000 people have died globally, the vast majority in China.
The Namibian government has come under pressure from parents who want their children repatriated, especially after South Africa decided to have its citizens evacuated from China.
“We are not throwing our young people under the bus. It is better for them to stay there. Almost all countries that have evacuated their citizens have reported cases of infection. We are not sacrificing the young people; we are doing it to protect them,” said Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila.
Shangula said cost considerations are not the reason for Namibia's decision not to bring back its citizens, saying: “You cannot put a price on anyone's life”.
He, however, said Namibia has limited capacity to quarantine a large number of suspected cases, and the country's isolation facilities are sufficient to accommodate the 500 Namibians if they were to be evacuated.
“[The] challenge of providing them with appropriate medical services will be daunting. Doing so will place additional strain on the already stretched resources at the disposal of the state,” Shangula said.
He said an estimated cost for a response plan is N$50 million, which includes cost of travel from China, the cost of quarantine or isolation, the provision of personal protective equipment and the cost of medical services.
Shangula said the response plan is adequate to deal with any imported cases of coronavirus, but not enough for 500 people at a time.
In Namibia, two possible cases of the virus have been tested, but the results were negative.
The response plan was developed by an extended national health emergency committee. The plan has been duplicated at regional level.
International relations minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah said all foreign students, including Namibians in Wuhan, which is at the epicentre of the virus outbreak, are living in their dormitories and receive tutorials online where classes have resumed.
She said the Namibian foreign mission in Beijing keeps updating authorities here on the situation.
“As a government, we understand the concern of the nation. At the same time, we appeal to the nation to remain calm and our students in China to cooperate and comply with all the protocols put in place in the management of the coronavirus,” Nandi-Ndaitwah said.
There are 27 Namibian students at the Hubei University of Science and Technology (HUST) in the Hebei province in China.
The provincial capital is Wuhan.
Chinese authorities on 27 February issued a notice to say that the university would relocate some students from the main campus to make way for a centralised 1 000-room quarantine and observation site for coronavirus patients discharged from hospitals.
CATHERINE SASMAN
Health minister Dr Kalumbi Shangula said in parliament on Wednesday that none of the Namibians in China have been infected with the virus, adding there is a greater risk of infection during transit.
The virus crept closer to Namibia's borders yesterday with a first case conformed in South Africa.
A 38-year-old man has tested positive for the COVID-19 virus in KwaZulu-Natal.
The man recently travelled to Italy and has been in self-isolation since.
Over 90 000 coronavirus cases have been confirmed worldwide. More than 3 000 people have died globally, the vast majority in China.
The Namibian government has come under pressure from parents who want their children repatriated, especially after South Africa decided to have its citizens evacuated from China.
“We are not throwing our young people under the bus. It is better for them to stay there. Almost all countries that have evacuated their citizens have reported cases of infection. We are not sacrificing the young people; we are doing it to protect them,” said Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila.
Shangula said cost considerations are not the reason for Namibia's decision not to bring back its citizens, saying: “You cannot put a price on anyone's life”.
He, however, said Namibia has limited capacity to quarantine a large number of suspected cases, and the country's isolation facilities are sufficient to accommodate the 500 Namibians if they were to be evacuated.
“[The] challenge of providing them with appropriate medical services will be daunting. Doing so will place additional strain on the already stretched resources at the disposal of the state,” Shangula said.
He said an estimated cost for a response plan is N$50 million, which includes cost of travel from China, the cost of quarantine or isolation, the provision of personal protective equipment and the cost of medical services.
Shangula said the response plan is adequate to deal with any imported cases of coronavirus, but not enough for 500 people at a time.
In Namibia, two possible cases of the virus have been tested, but the results were negative.
The response plan was developed by an extended national health emergency committee. The plan has been duplicated at regional level.
International relations minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah said all foreign students, including Namibians in Wuhan, which is at the epicentre of the virus outbreak, are living in their dormitories and receive tutorials online where classes have resumed.
She said the Namibian foreign mission in Beijing keeps updating authorities here on the situation.
“As a government, we understand the concern of the nation. At the same time, we appeal to the nation to remain calm and our students in China to cooperate and comply with all the protocols put in place in the management of the coronavirus,” Nandi-Ndaitwah said.
There are 27 Namibian students at the Hubei University of Science and Technology (HUST) in the Hebei province in China.
The provincial capital is Wuhan.
Chinese authorities on 27 February issued a notice to say that the university would relocate some students from the main campus to make way for a centralised 1 000-room quarantine and observation site for coronavirus patients discharged from hospitals.
CATHERINE SASMAN
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