While pleading to the nation not to rest on its laurels in the fight against COVID-19 as winter beckons, President Hage Geingob announced that 411 106 Namibians have been vaccinated against the deadly virus.

This translates into 23 per cent of the target population of 70 per cent to reach herd immunity.

The president revealed the statistics on Friday, during the 43rd COVID-19 public briefing on national response measures.

Chiefly, Geingob said preventative measures against the virus are still as relevant as they were when it hit local shores and encouraged Namibians to practice social distancing, avoid large crowds and maintain hand hygiene and “get vaccinated or receive your vaccine booster to reduce chances of severe illness, hospitalisation and even death.”

“At this stage, all efforts should be taken to bolster our defences against this deadly scourge which has already caused untold damage and heartache since its arrival on our shores,” Geingob said.

So far, Namibia has recorded a cumulative total of 162 020 cases since 2020, of which 1 034 remain actively infected.

The death toll stands at 4 029 or 2.5 per cent of the cases.

The current COVID-19 response measures will lapse at midnight on 15 May 2022, after which a new dispensation, albeit unchanged, will commence on 16 May 2022, until midnight om 15 June 2022.

Public gatherings are capped at 1 000 people, while the wearing of face masks is not mandatory.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency