Namibia’s COVID-19 situation continued taking a turn for the worse after the latest daily figures revealed that the positivity rate shot up to 42 percent, more than eight times the threshold of the World Health Organization.
According to the Ministry of Health and Social Services, 1,084 new infections were reported from 2,597 samples taking the total to 75,766.
Four regions reported more than 150 cases each among them Otjozondjupa, Hardap, Khomas – where the capital Windhoek is located – and Erongo.
Among the new cases were 215 students, from various schools, and 14 teachers.
“Of all confirmed cases, only twenty (20), which represent two percent (2%) are recorded to have been vaccinated with the first dose,” the ministry said.
“We now have fourteen thousand and ninety-two (14,092) active cases. Five hundred and sixteen (516) are hospitalized, of which ninety (90) are in intensive care units (ICUs),” it added.
The number of deaths also rose to 1,179 after 15 more fatalities were recorded while the number of recoveries rose by 808 to stand at 60,484.
Regional authorities in the country have taken up various measures to cope with the pressures of the pandemic, local media reported.
Erongo governor Neville Andre on Monday announced the restart of emergency operation centre meetings to combat the pandemic while encouraging people to get vaccinated.
Meanwhile, authorities in Windhoek and the health ministry began cremating corpses that have accumulated in the state mortuary in Windhoek, to create space for the bodies of COVID-19 victims.
A total of 104,530 people have so far been vaccinated with a first dose of Sinopharm and AstraZeneca vaccines, according to the ministry.
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