Health and Social Services Minister, Dr Kalumbi Shangula has announced that Namibia on Friday recorded 970 new COVID-19 cases and one death bringing total deaths in the country to 3 581.

In the daily update issued Saturday, Shangula said the new cases formed part of 2 753 results and represented a 35.2 per cent positivity ratio, with a sex distribution of 509 females and 461 males aged between five months and 92 years.

The Erongo Region recorded the highest number of cases at 265, followed by Khomas with 229 cases, ||Kharas 102, Otjozondjupa 83, Hardap 62, Kavango East 47, Kunene 45, Oshana 40, Omusati 39, Oshikoto 32, Ohangwena 16, Zambezi nine and Kavango West one.

Among the confirmed cases are 56 learners, 33 healthcare workers, 12 students and five teachers.

Four cases have received one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, 18 are fully vaccinated while 948 or 97.7 per cent of the new cases are unvaccinated.

Shangula further reported that 26 new recoveries were recorded, bringing total recoveries in the country to 126 314.

The number of active cases on Friday increased to 7 132 of which 189 were hospitalised and 14 admitted to intensive care units (ICU). Eight of the hospitalised cases received one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and 21 are fully vaccinated, while none of the cases in ICU have been vaccinated.

The minister also reported that by Friday, 396 439 people had received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine of which 99 905 had received the single dose Johnson and Johnson vaccine. A total of 1 008 are children aged 12 to 17 years. With 234 797 having received two doses, 334 702 people had completed their vaccination, which translates to 22.3 per cent of the target population. Meanwhile, 1 027 people have received their third Sinopharm jab.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency