Namibia has detected 18 cases of the Omicron coronavirus variant, as the “highly transmissible” new variant spread to more than 40 countries since it was first detected in South Africa last week.
This comes at a time when the country is preparing its hospitals for more admissions, with 695 new infections recorded between 01 and 05 December 2021.
Out of these new cases, 536 [77.12 per cent] were from the Khomas Region alone.
The announcement was made by health minister Dr Kalumbi Shangula during the 37th public briefing on COVID-19 at State House on Monday.
Omicron was first detected in southern Africa last month and has triggered global alarm as governments fear another surge in infections.
Following the reports and identification of the Omicron variant, Namibia started to conduct genomic sequencing of samples that tested positive for COVID-19 [SARS-COV-2].
“A total of 19 samples which tested positive for COVID-19 through the RTC/PCR between 11 and 26 November 2021, were selected for the next generation sequencing (NGS) after passing quality control. Out of the 19 samples, 18 tested positive for the B.1.1.5.2.9 Omicron variant, while one was the Delta variant,” said Shangula.
He added that the ministry’s surveillance and laboratory pillars of the response to COVID-19 are hard at work to learn more about the travel history and contacts of these cases.
“Namibia continues to strengthen the healthcare system to respond to the pandemic through the improvement of our physical infrastructures such as isolation facilities, hospital bed capacity, intensive care units and oxygen supply,” he noted.
In the same breath, Shangula vowed that Namibia will continue to strengthen its surveillance and response, including the immediate contact tracing of close contacts to contain the further spread of the variants concerned, including Omicron.
At the same event, President Hage Geingob warned Namibians that the government will be forced to take drastic measures to curb the further spread of the deadly virus, should cases continue to rise, on 15 December.
“If we don’t change our habits, we will be left with no choice and no option but to take stricter measures ahead of the festive season. It is not a desirable course of action,” he cautioned.
The president also lamented the slow uptake of the vaccines, saying those who are not vaccinated are reversing the gains the country has made in the fight against COVID-19.
“Those among us who are not respecting the health protocols in place and refusing to wear masks and practice social distancing are reversing the gains we have made in our fight against COVID-19,” Geingob said.
He then encouraged fully vaccinated Namibians to go for their booster jabs.
“It is regrettable that over 150 000 doses of vaccines had to be destroyed because they had reached their expiry dates,” he said.
Source: Namibia Press Agency
