Minister of Health and Social Services, Dr. Kalumbi Shangula, on Friday said, Namibia on Thursday recorded 609 new COVID-19 positive cases and 49 deaths recorded from nine districts, bringing the total number of deaths to 2 714.

Shangula in the COVID-19 daily update said 19 of the new death were reported as home deaths, with the highest number recorded from the Rehoboth district with 10 home deaths, followed by Gobabis with five.

He further said the newly confirmed cases were identified from 2 505 results received from laboratories over the last 24 hours and they represent a 24 per cent positivity ratio.

The new cases have a gender distribution of 337 female and 272 male patients, with the youngest being three days old and the oldest, 106 years.

The Otjozondjupa Region recorded the highest number of positive cases with 89 cases, followed by Khomas and Erongo with 87 cases each, Omusati 61, Oshana 50, Kavango East 48, Ohangwena 47, Hardap 46, Zambezi 39, ||Kharas 20, Kunene 19, Oshikoto nine and Kavango West with seven cases.

He added that, among these cases, 45 are learners, 11 teachers, six students and 15 healthcare workers.

“Of all the confirmed cases, three are reported to have received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccines and one is fully vaccinated,” said Shangula.

Namibia currently has 21 523 active cases, of which 537 are hospitalised and 116 are in intensive care units.

In addition, 273 new recoveries were also announced, bringing the total number of recoveries in Namibia to 90 761.

The minister added that the country has observed an increase in the number of vaccine uptake, which he says is encouraging.

A cumulative number of 144 417 people had received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccines, while 42 142 had received their second dose.

Source: Namibia Press Agency