Health and Social Services Minister, Dr Kalumbi Shangula has announced that Namibia on Wednesday recorded 1 291 new COVID-19 cases and 35 COVID-19 deaths.

Shangula in an update released Thursday, said Walvis Bay district recorded the highest number of new deaths at seven, with the others reported from Windhoek, Swakopmund, Tsumeb, Katima Mulilo, Rundu, Okahao, Onandjokwe, Nankudu, Engela and Omuthiya.

He further said the new cases were identified from 3 372 results received by laboratories in the last 24 hours and represent a 38 per cent positivity ratio.

The cases have a gender distribution of 728 female and 563 male patients, with the youngest being 21 days old and the oldest, 95 years.

Khomas accounts for 32 per cent of the new cases with 418, followed by Otjozondjupa at 163, Oshana 140, Hardap 106, ||Kharas 100, Erongo 81 while Oshikoto and Kavango East each recorded 79 cases. Omaheke recorded 42 cases, Ohangwena 34, Kunene 30, Kavango West 10, Omusati seven and Zambezi recorded two cases.

Shangula said despite the closure of schools, the high number of teachers and learners testing positive for COVID-19 persists.

“Among the confirmed cases 153 are learners, 37 students and 44 teachers from different schools as well as 40 healthcare workers,” he said.

Shangula said of the new cases, 28 received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and one has been fully vaccinated.

Namibia currently has 21 861 active cases, 563 are hospitalised of which 102 are in intensive care.

In addition, 450 new recoveries were reported, bringing the total number of recoveries in the country to 67 780.

As of Wednesday, a cumulative number of 121 095 people had received their first vaccine dose and 24 862 had received their second dose.

Source: Namibia Press Agency