Uproar over Covid-19 flat tenants
The health ministry quarantined three people with Covid-19 in a residential complex in Windhoek for more than a week without informing the other tenants or the landlords that they were ill.
JEMIMA BEUKES
WINDHOEK
Tenants of a block of flats in Windhoek were seemingly put at risk when three people who had tested positive for coronavirus were quarantined in their complex without their knowledge.
The complex accommodates two restaurants that were operating during this time, as well as several other businesses.
According to sources within the complex management, some of their tenants were approached by ministry of health officials who were interested in renting flats but answers about who would occupy the flats were not forthcoming until rumours started making the rounds.
The health minister, Dr Kalumbi Shangula, initially said he was unaware of the incident but later confirmed it to Namibian Sun, saying it was merely a “miscommunication”.
“It happened, yes. I was informed that the logistics team responsible for scouting places never informed the surveillance team about what had happened,” he said.
Tenants flee
Namibian Sun understands some tenants fled their homes in fear because the infected people were walking around the complex without wearing masks.
According to correspondence between some tenants and management, it appears as if the health ministry officials had led the owners to believe that the flats would accommodate medical professionals waiting for their test results.
A management agent told Namibian Sun that some of the owners who rented the flats, situated in Windhoek’s Eros suburb, to the health ministry had no idea that their new tenants were infectious.
The agent also said Dr Theo-Ben Kandetu, the head of coronavirus case management, told them that it was an error in communication and apologised on behalf of the ministry.
“No answers were forthcoming from the ministry. After a meeting with Dr Theo-Ben Kandetu and officials from the ministry we were informed that these people were in fact positive. It was realised that this venue would not be the appropriate place to accommodate them and the patients were removed after living on the premises for eight days,” the agent said.
Kandetu refused to comment when approached by Namibian Sun.
“Let me refer you to the public relations department,” he said.
Eight days
Documents show that the people quarantined at the suites were case 16, a 46-year-old medical practitioner who had travelled to South Africa, case 9, a Namibian woman who lives in South Africa, and case 14, a health worker who had been in contact with the third person diagnosed with Covid-19 in Namibia.
According to correspondences seen, the health officials visited the premises on 4 April 2020 and brought the first patient there in an ambulance later that day.
“They continued to bring the patient to one of the units the next morning, knowing full well that there were other healthy tenants residing there as well as businesses and restaurant staff entering and leaving the site.
“What makes it even more unacceptable is the fact that these patients were all Covid-19 positive upon arrival and they were in fact undergoing tests to monitor their recovery,” one of the emails read.
[email protected]
WINDHOEK
Tenants of a block of flats in Windhoek were seemingly put at risk when three people who had tested positive for coronavirus were quarantined in their complex without their knowledge.
The complex accommodates two restaurants that were operating during this time, as well as several other businesses.
According to sources within the complex management, some of their tenants were approached by ministry of health officials who were interested in renting flats but answers about who would occupy the flats were not forthcoming until rumours started making the rounds.
The health minister, Dr Kalumbi Shangula, initially said he was unaware of the incident but later confirmed it to Namibian Sun, saying it was merely a “miscommunication”.
“It happened, yes. I was informed that the logistics team responsible for scouting places never informed the surveillance team about what had happened,” he said.
Tenants flee
Namibian Sun understands some tenants fled their homes in fear because the infected people were walking around the complex without wearing masks.
According to correspondence between some tenants and management, it appears as if the health ministry officials had led the owners to believe that the flats would accommodate medical professionals waiting for their test results.
A management agent told Namibian Sun that some of the owners who rented the flats, situated in Windhoek’s Eros suburb, to the health ministry had no idea that their new tenants were infectious.
The agent also said Dr Theo-Ben Kandetu, the head of coronavirus case management, told them that it was an error in communication and apologised on behalf of the ministry.
“No answers were forthcoming from the ministry. After a meeting with Dr Theo-Ben Kandetu and officials from the ministry we were informed that these people were in fact positive. It was realised that this venue would not be the appropriate place to accommodate them and the patients were removed after living on the premises for eight days,” the agent said.
Kandetu refused to comment when approached by Namibian Sun.
“Let me refer you to the public relations department,” he said.
Eight days
Documents show that the people quarantined at the suites were case 16, a 46-year-old medical practitioner who had travelled to South Africa, case 9, a Namibian woman who lives in South Africa, and case 14, a health worker who had been in contact with the third person diagnosed with Covid-19 in Namibia.
According to correspondences seen, the health officials visited the premises on 4 April 2020 and brought the first patient there in an ambulance later that day.
“They continued to bring the patient to one of the units the next morning, knowing full well that there were other healthy tenants residing there as well as businesses and restaurant staff entering and leaving the site.
“What makes it even more unacceptable is the fact that these patients were all Covid-19 positive upon arrival and they were in fact undergoing tests to monitor their recovery,” one of the emails read.
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