having Covid-19. This was because by then, NIP did not have much capacity to test
almost everybody who needed to be tested,” Shangula said.
Shangula partly attributed a delay in ramping up testing of Covid-19 on a shortage of
chemical reagents. He said there was a need to preserve the necessary reagents in the
country because there is an international lack of supply.
“Currently, we are in a position to do 96 tests per run because of the criteria that we have
put up. Number two, we also have to preserve the little reagents that we have at the
moment. There is a scarcity of this reagent. Transport has been stopped and it is no
longer easy to get things to Namibia. But | must say that we have now revised our criteria
and will do more tests as much as possible. We are going to focus on hotspots because
the reagents that we have are not enough for everybody.”
The health authorities have carried out about 500 tests since the first infections were
detected in the country on 13 March. Earlier in the week, Shangula said a lot still needs to
be done to curb the spread of coronavirus, which has now claimed over 126 000 lives
globally, while over two million have tested positive.
“Notwithstanding the noteworthy performance by Namibia, the job is not yet done. We
are facing a new disease of which much is still to be learned and to be understood.
Covid-19 is characterised by high intensity of transmission, extremely low immunity of
the population, abundance of infective and susceptible individuals, and wide
geographical distribution,” he said.
On Tuesday, President Hage Geingob announced the extension of the current lockdown
until 4 May, with government banning with effect from 18 April all unnecessary transport
and movement of people throughout the country.
Firm... Dr Kalumbi Shangula
Photo: Emmency Nuukala
Staff Reporter
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