Staff Reporter
TWO women who travelled from India to Namibia over the past week have tested positive for COVID-19 while in quarantine.
The Minister of Health and Social Services, Dr. Kalumbi Shangula, announced the two new cases during the information session at the National COVID-19 Communication Centre in Windhoek and said both patients are in a satisfactory condition.
The woman registered as case number 30 is a 27-year-old Namibian student who travelled from India by air via OR Tambo International Airport, South Africa on 24 May 2020. She departed from South Africa on 25 May 2020 by bus and travelled with other nine other passengers.
The passengers were all returning Namibians from India and were dropped off at Nakop border post on the South African side of the border.
They were collected on the same day with two minibuses by the Karasburg health district team and entered Namibia through Ariamsvlei border post.
The patient has been quarantined at Grunau Chalets in Grunau at Karasburg district since 25 May 2020.
She was swabbed on 6 June 2020 and results came out positive on 7 June 2020.
Case number 31 is a 50-year-old woman, who also travelled with the same group from India and was quarantined at Grunau Chalets.
Like case number 30, the patient was swabbed on 6 June 2020 and her results came out positive on 7 June 2020.
Dr. Shangula indicated that both patients are in a satisfactory condition.
With regards to case number 22, the 63-year-old man who returned to Namibia on a multipurpose cargo vessel that shipped salt and fish to the Democratic Republic of Congo at the end of April, Dr. Shangula said that sedation of the patient was stopped and that he is fully conscious.
“He is still on the ventilator but is showing positive respiratory dynamics,” Dr. Shangula said.
The two new cases increased the number of active cases to 15, while 16 recoveries have been reported since the March.
Namibian health authorities tested a total of 4 943 people and Dr. Shangula added that 737 people are still in quarantine across the country.
No COVID-19 related deaths have been registered in Namibia since the start of the pandemic.
