The Namibian government has tightened measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus amid indications that the country is now experiencing a second wave of the global pandemic.
In an address to the nation on Wednesday night, President Hage Geingob said developments of the past few weeks have necessitated that “it is vital to take the necessary steps to ensure that our response is adequate to meet the challenge.”
Over the past 15 days, the country has recorded 13 deaths and 2,425 new infections, bringing the total infections recorded to 16,913 and 164 deaths.
“It is now evident that Namibia is experiencing a second wave of rising COVID-19 infections,” he said.
He revealed that numbers of coronavirus-related hospital admissions and deaths have sharply increased in recent weeks in various parts of the country.
“Against this background, it is imperative that some amendments to the regulations are effected in order to suppress the further spread of COVID-19 in the country and hopefully engender changes in public behaviour.”
With effect from midnight on Wednesday all indoor public gatherings should not exceed 50 people while events taking place outdoor should be limited to a maximum of 100 persons.
“It is a requirement that conveners and organizers of such gatherings keep registers of attendees at each gathering, record body temperatures of attendees in such registers, and provide facilities for guests to wash their hands with soap or to sanitize their hands,” Geingob said.
Bars, nightclubs, casinos and restaurants are expected to close at 10pm (2000 GMT) while “all indoor dining tables to be arranged two metres apart.”
There will be stricter enforcement of COVID-19 regulations.
“Enforcement is critical to ensure adherence to these public health measures in public places and the law enforcement agencies are hereby directed to deploy personnel and ensure compliance,” he said.
The new measures will be in place for the next 14 days and will be reviewed after December 30.
JN/APA