Health and Social Services Minister, Dr Kalumbi Shangula, has announced that Namibia on Wednesday recorded 151 new COVID-19 cases and 20 deaths, bringing total deaths in the country to 3 884.
In the daily update issued Thursday, Shangula said the new cases formed part of 1 737 results and represented a 8.9 per cent positivity ratio, with a sex distribution of 86 females and 65 males aged between five months and 109 years.
The Otjozondjupa Region recorded the highest number of cases at 17, followed by the Oshikoto Region with 15 cases, Khomas, Hardap and Oshana with 14 cases each, ||Kharas 12, Omaheke 11, Zambezi, Omusati and Ohangwena with nine cases each, Kavango East eight, Erongo six, Kavango West two and the Kunene Region with one case.
Among the confirmed cases are 31 learners, five teachers, two students and two healthcare workers.
Sixteen cases are fully vaccinated, while 134 cases or 88.7 per cent of the new cases, are not vaccinated.
Shangula further reported that 105 new recoveries were recorded, bringing total recoveries in the country to 143 562.
The number of active cases on Tuesday stood at 9 403, of which 260 were hospitalised and 22 admitted to intensive care units (ICU). Two of the hospitalised cases received one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and 21 are fully vaccinated. All 22 cases in ICU are not vaccinated.
The minister also reported that by 18 January 2022, 412 571 people had received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, of which 110 075 had received the single dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine. A total of 3 016 are children aged 12 to 17 years. With 242 560 people having received two doses, 352 635 people had completed their vaccination, which translates to 24 per cent of the target population. Meanwhile, 12 068 people have received booster doses.
Shangula urged the public to seek medical attention sooner, adding that the high number of deaths are attributed to people not seeking medical attention and eventually succumbing to the disease without medical care, or going ro hospital when it is too late.
“We have a delayed health seeking behaviour such that by the time the patient arrives at the hospital, it is too late to save him or her. We urge the public to seek early medical care,” the minister stressed.
Source: The Namibian Press Agency
