Erongo Governor Neville Andre Itope has expressed disappointment in teachers and young people who he said have been reluctant to get vaccinated for COVID-19.

The governor at the regional COVID-19 media briefing at Swakopmund on Tuesday said: “We want to continue urging them to get vaccinated because it is important for themselves and their loved ones. Furthermore, we are still noticing that the people testing positive and succumbing to COVID-19 are not fully vaccinated.”

He said only 27 per cent of the targeted population has been vaccinated with the first dose while 23 per cent took their second dose, and urged the region’s inhabitants to make use of the opportunity and get vaccinated before the country is possibly hit by a fourth wave.

The governor further gave assurance that his office, along with the relevant stakeholders is continuing to prepare the systems in terms of human resources, testing capacity, logistics and vaccination to be ready if and when the fourth wave hits.

Meanwhile, Health Director in the region Anna Jonas said that the cases in the region are relatively low and only about five-to-seven cases are reported weekly on average.

“Because of the low numbers we are recording, we obviously also have very low hospitalisation and places like Omaruru and Usakos had no patients hospitalised at all and Swakopmund also just had suspected cases.

We are also as a result of the low cases not experiencing any challenges when it comes to oxygen supply as it was in the past,” Jonas noted.

She added that in preparation for the fourth wave, the ministry has recruited a number of medical doctors and nurses permanently, however they are faced with the challenge of filling health facilities in the Omaruru districts because people are not keen on working there.

“It is however an ongoing process and we are working to have doctors and nurses there as soon as possible,” she said.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency