HON MINISTER COVID 19 CABINET STATEMENT 17 MARCH 2020-1 :: COVID-19

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HON MINISTER COVID 19 CABINET STATEMENT 17 MARCH 2020-1

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HON MINISTER COVID 19 CABINET STATEMENT 17 MARCH 2020-1

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4" (2020) DECISION MAKING

ADDITIONAL

MEASURES

PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE

MARCH 2020

CABINET RESOLUTIONS ON

STRENGTHEN

NAMIBIA’S

TO COVID-19 OUTBREAK -17

1. That Cabinet approve the following additional measures to be instituted by

the Government to curtail the spread of the COVID-19:

Points of Entry

a) Suspension of the issuance of visa on arrival at the Hosea Kutako

International Airport and implementation travel ban of foreign nationals

(by air and sea) from affected countries, namely Schengen States, China,

Iran, Korea, United Kingdom, United States of America and Japan. The

travel ban to be reviewed regularly.

b) A temporary travel suspension for 30 days for Namibians or Permanent

Residents functionaries except for special cases with prior authorization

with Ministry of Health and Social Services and Home Affairs and

Immigration. Exceptional cases will include, persons seeking medical

treatment, essential services like humanitarian assistance, truck drivers

bringing food and other essential commodities, Namibians returning

among others. Compulsory screening will be conducted for verification

and quarantine imposed were necessary;

c) All leisure, business and social travel like tourists is suspended, and

Namibians who are residents in other countries considering to visit

Namibia to postpone such visits;

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d) In order to facilitate work, international meetings, should either be

attended by officials from our missions abroad or participation through

video/teleconferencing.

e) Direct that all international scheduled flights, private chartered flights to

only land at Hosea Kutako International and Walvis Bay International

Airports;

f) All scheduled passenger flights, including private chartered flights to

and from countries where there is active local transmission be

temporarily suspended for 30 days with immediate effect. This

suspension is exclusive of cargo and emergency flights to and from

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g) Conduct strict disinfection of aircrafts and training of airport staff on

infection prevention and control and provision of appropriate PPE; eS.

h) Mandatory screening for COVID-19 to be conducted at all Points of

Entry in the country. Thermo guns to be placed at all checkpoints and

roadblocks for screening inland travellers;

i) All returning Namibians and permanent residents arriving from

countries at high risk or from affected other countries will be subject to

supervised self-quarantine from 14 days (self-quarantine for

mild/asymptomatic persons); and

J) South African Borders, including Air Travel to remain open to serve as

points of entry for Namibians returning home and exit point for visitors

from Namibia, and to facilitate trade between the two countries.

Uniformed forces

2. Deployment of multi-disciplinary professionals like Health Professionals,

logisticians and other professionals from the Uniformed Services (MoD,

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NAMPOL and Correctional Services) to complement their counterparts at

the Ministry of Health and Social Services and the National Health

Emergency Management Committee and funds to be availed for training,

equipment, and materials:

Correctional officers, court officials, police and City Police to be

issued necessary infection prevention materials when conducting their

duties;

b) All court hearings to be conducted without attendance by members of

the public;

All pending matters in court to be postponed in absentia for 30 days;

d) Provide separate detection facilities for new incoming accused person

or suspects, and that routine screening should be conducted before

admission;

Implement decongestion procedures at police cells;

For a period of thirty(30) days following the adoption of this measure,

visits to correctional facilities and police holding cells be restricted to

limited numbers of family members as determined by the relevant

authorities;

Health facilities

35 Mandatory immediate reporting of all suspected cases from both State and

Private Health Facilities, using set case definitions as well as taking

specimens and packaging according to the set standard operating procedures

(SOPs):

a) Introduction of triage system and mandatory screening at all Health

Facilities in the country and that the Ministry of Health and Social

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Services coordinates the provision of Personal Protective

Clothing/Equipment to all Ports of Entry officials;

Include private facilities (UNAM&NUST), and other allied health

services) sectors in the response depending on need;

All health care workers to refer and apply relevant sections of the

Public and Environmental Act No. 1 of 2015 regarding the

notification, prevention and control of notifiable diseases.

General Public

For a period of thirty (30) days following the adoption of this measure, large

public gatherings (of not more than 50 people) be suspended; schools,

religious gatherings, customary, weddings, funerals, and all parades for

uniformed forces to be suspended until further notice;

For non-COVID-19 related funerals, families (organizers) are strongly

advised:

a) To promoté hand washing, respiratory hygiene and social distancing

at the event;

b) Advice mourners to wear masks when coming to all activities related

to the funeral;

c) Deaths and funerals related to COVID-19 will be handled by the

government with psychosocial support to the family;

d) For a period of thirty (30) days following the adoption of this

measure, owners of public transport vehicles to provide hand

sanitizers and masks to all their clients/passengers and enforcement

the laws on overloading strictly;

e) For a period of thirty (30) days following the adoption of this

measure, precautionary measures to be put in place during livestock

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auctions so as to prevent transmission of the virus in lien with the

directive on minimizing mass gatherings as determined by relevant

authorities and stakeholders;

For a period of thirty (30) days following the adoption

measure, trade fairs, sports, events, and demonstrations

postponed;

of this

to be

g) Accommodation establishments throughout the country to:

Provide sanitizers and masks for all staff

“

Educate guests to have own protective measures

Have full travel history of the guests and next destination

Contact health authorities immediately when they notice guest

being ill, especially with symptoms related COVID-19

Adopt and implement WHO Guidelines on Workplace

- Prevention of COVID-019, including training of staff members of

accommodation establishments on appropriate —_ Infection

Prevention and Control measures.

h) Water supply to communities is key in the prevention of COVIT-19,

and Service Providers are urged to make sure that water is available

to the public, through water tanker services and other means;

Scale up the provision of water supply at informal settlement and

other strategic places through water tankers;

Public awareness messages and campaigns should be intensified using

all media avenues and platforms to reach every community member in

all regions; and.

k) Shops, shopping mall and supermarkets to put measures in place to

ensure and enhance hygiene at all time to protect all clients and

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customers, such as the provision of alcohol-based hand sanitizers, and

face masks for employees.

Economic Related Resolutions:

Offices/Ministries and Agencies should request their respective State-Owned

Enterprises to explore the possible impact of the Coronavirus on their

businesses;

Namibia to engage South Africa, as a matter of urgency on the reciprocity of

Visa arrangement for business people, and on the Exit and Entry points that

should not be closed to allow for the flow of trade and further mitigate

shortage of suppliers (consumable goods) to Namibia;

That owners of shopping malls should be advised to make sanitizers

available to the customers especially at the entrances of the shops;

The cattle auctions should be allowed to continue provided that the number

of people is limited to the Traders and no children should be allowed at the

auctions;

10. The Ministry of Finance and Bank of Namibia to conduct a thorough impact

assessment of the COVID-19 on the economy, as well as, on the financial

stability and the outcome should be presented at the next meeting of

Ministerial Committee of the Economic Sectors; and

11. The Ministry of Industrialization, Trade and SME Development should

implore upon the cosmetic industry to invest on manufacturing of sanitizers

and other protective products to assess the impact of COVID- 19.