President Hage Geingob has not extended a six-month COVID-19 state of emergency that ended on Thursday and promised to announce new regulations to guide public conduct amid the looming threat of a resurgence in cases of the virus.
In an address to the nation on Thursday, Geingob said the state of emergency he declared on 17 March had managed to contain the spread of coronavirus and would not be extended upon its expiry at midnight on 17 September.
“Moving forward, we will monitor the situation for a period of 14 days to determine the way forward under a new dispensation,” Geingob said.
He added: “When warranted, appropriate measures will be introduced.”
He noted that the decision not to extend the state of emergency was taken after taking into account the impact of the lockdown on the economy.
“The virus is deadly but we are also aware that poverty kills,” he said.
He urged Namibians to remain vigilante, warning that the country was not yet out of the woods.
The capital Windhoek recorded 62 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, bringing the total for the country since March to 10,078 cases and 108 deaths.
JN/APA