SITREP 13


SITREP 13



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Ministry of Health and Social Services
Republic of Namibia
2k\\s)ev OWrorgladnizHaetailotnh
NAMIBIA
Date & Time of
report
Prepared by
31 March 2020 22:00
Surveillance team
Region
Country affected
Investigation start date
indhoek
Khomas
Namibia
13 March 2020
Date of outbreak declaration in Namibia: 14 March 2020.
1.
SITUATION UPDATE / HIGHLIGHTS
e One case recovered and discharged, tested negative twice at 48 hours interval.
e No new confirmed cases have been reported on 31 March 2020
e Cumulatively, 11 confirmed cases reported; 10 are travel related; while one is being
investigated if its imported or local.
e Thematic group meetings continue to be held daily, since the 14 March 2020
e Supervised quarantine for all Namibians arriving from affected countries for 14 days
is ongoing
e Partial lockdown of Erongo and Khomas regions took effect on 28 March 2020 till 16
April 2020. Borders have been closed, except for essential/critical services and
humanitarian support to the response.
e The Honourable Deputy Prime Minister visited the Emergency Operation Center,
e Key Challenges include:
o Inadequate isolation and quarantine facilities, human resources and material
supplies including PPE, ICU units and ventilators.
2. BACKGRAUND
= Description of the latest cases
= Index cases: Two confirmed cases of COVID-19 were reported in Windhoek
district on 13 March 2020. The married couple; a 35-year-old male and a 25-year-
old female, arrived from Madrid, Spain on 11 February 2020.
= Case number 10, is a 41-year-old female Namibian citizen, who traveled from
Dubai, Ethiopia via South Africa, on 17 March 2020. She was tested on 26 March
2020 at Robert Mugabe Clinic with the following symptoms; fever, cough, sore
throat, shortness of breath, vomiting, and myalgia.

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=» Case number 11, is a 69 years-old Namibian male, traveled from South Africa on
12 March 2020, tested at Omaruru medical practice on 25 March 2020
complaining of chills, cough and body pains (no fever). The sample was sent to
NIP in Windhoek on 27 March 2020. He tested positive on 28 March 2020.
Table 1: Confirmed cases by region as of 31 March 2020
Reporting
Total
New
Active cases | Recovered
region
Cases
cases
Khomas
8
0
7
1
Karas
1
0
i
0
Erongo
2
0
Z
0
Total
11
0
10
1
One case recovered and discharged.
Death
0
0
0
0
0 100 200 300 400
Ea
— 5.
poe
:
—
500 kme \\. S
|
=
COVID-19 Cases -Namibia
C) Districts
* Positive Cases
* Lab Tested Cases
Figure 1: Suspected and confirmed COVID-19 cases in Namibia per District, as of 31 March
2020
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3. EPIDEMIOLOGY & SURVEILLANCE
Contact Tracing Summary
Table 2: Contacts tracing summary as of 31 .03.2020
Variables
Contact risk level
High
Medium
Low
Total
Contacts identified
23
24
95
142
Number of contact traced to-date | 19
16
Al
76
Number of contact monitored
18
Lv
35
65
today
Contact completed 14 days
follow up to-date
\\
ie
=
57
Number of contact that
developed signs & symptoms
5
1
4
10
tested
s*i:Ngunsmbaenrd
of contact
symptoms
without
tested
3
0
1
4
© Number of contact lost to
0
2
5
4
follow up
# Contacts never reached
0
0
2
2
*Number of (highly exposed) contact without signs & symptoms tested. One tested positive.
© Seven contacts are lost to follow up, all are non-Namibians and have travelled back to
their countries.
# Two contacts could not be reached as they did not provide contact numbers
4. LABORATORY INVESTIGATIONS
= One result inconclusive (inderminate) on 30 March 2020, confirmation result is
still awaited.
* Stock level of testing kits at NIP is low, only 525 laboratory extraction phase
(Qiagen Mini Spin columns) available.
# As of 31 March 2020, a total of 304 COVID-19 specimens were recorded in the
two laboratories (NIP and Path-care) as per table below:
Table 3: COVID-19 specimens recorded in at NIP and Path care as of 31.03.2020
As of 31/03/2020
Laboratory
Total
NIP
Total sample sent to the Laboratory
148
Path care
South Africa
156
-
304
Total sample tested
109
154
-
263
Total results received
109
154
-
263
Total results positive
4
6
*]
11
Total results negative
102
148
-
250
Total results pending
19
0
-
19
Total results inconclusive
1
0
-
1
Total sample discarded
19
Z
-
21
*I Patient specimen collected and tested in South Africa

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. PUBLIC HEALTH ACTION / RESPONSE INTERVENTIONS
COORDINATION AND LEADERSHIP:
National Health Emergency Management Committee on COVID-19 response was
activated on 14 March 2020.
Coordination meetings are held daily.
His Excellency Dr. Hage Geingob, the President of the Republic of Namibia,
declared a lockdown for 21 days for Khomas Region and Erongo Region effective
as of 27 March 2020.
A High level meeting (chaired by secretary to the cabinet) held on 29 March 2020
discussed the implementation of lockdown guidelines and way forward
SURVEILLANCE:
Daily pillar and intra-pillar meetings are held to discuss daily progress, gaps and
way forward;
Contact tracing is ongoing
Call centre continue operations for 24 hours.
People under mandatory quarantine are being monitored daily
Case definitions as of 20 March 2020:
Suspect case:
A. A patient with acute respiratory illness (fever and at least one sign/symptom of
respiratory disease, e.g., cough, shortness of breath), AND a history of travel to or
residence in a location reporting community transmission of COVID-19 disease
during the 14 days prior to symptom onset;
OR
B. A patient with any acute respiratory illness AND having been in contact with a
confirmed or probable COVID-19 case (see definition of contact) in the last 14
days prior to symptom onset;
OR
C. A patient with severe acute respiratory illness (fever and at least one
sign/symptom of respiratory disease,. e.g., cough, shortness of breath; AND
requiring hospitalization) AND in the absence of an alternative diagnosis that
fully explains the clinical presentation.
Probable case: A suspect case for whom testing for COVID-19 is inconclusive.
Inconclusive being the result of the test reported by the laboratory
Confirmed case: A person with laboratory confirmation of COVID-19 infection,
irrespective of clinical signs and symptoms.
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C. CASE MANAGEMENT
Out of eleven confirmed cases, one has been discharged after he have
recovered and tested negative.
The other ten confirmed cases are in stable conditions.
Training on COVID-19 is ongoing, daily sessions at Robert Mugabe, WCH
and KSH. Zoom meeting held weekly
More screening sites are being assessed
Conversion of casualty department at WCH into a highly infectious referral
ICU underway (anticipated to be completed by 03 April 2020).
A 12-bed Isolation Unit is under construction at final stage of completion at
WCH.
Roman Catholic Hospital, Mediclinic, Lady Pohamba and Rhino Park Private
hospitals have screening, swabbing and isolation wards.
Feedback from 11/14 regions on preparedness to respond to COVID19 was
received.
Erongo, Karas, Khomas, Oshana, Hardap, Omaheke, Otjozondjupa, Zambezi
and Omusati regions, have established screening, swabbing and isolation
facilities.
D. LOGISTICS:
Facilitation of the allocation of quarantine facilities in the country.
The Ministry of Information, Communication and Technology (MICT) issued
identification cards to participants in COVID-19 operations
E. RISK COMMUNICATION AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT:
Educational sessions continue to be conducted in various media
Simplified regulation messages on lockdown produced and given to different
radio stations
Psychosocial support is being offered on daily basis to people under quarantine
Exploration of the setup of a communication hub where press conferences and
live streams are to be broadcasted.
The video clips with the special messages on COVID-19 from the Honourable
Deputy Minister of MICT has been edited and ready to be submitted to NBC
and one Africa TVs for airing
The MoHSS continue to conduct press briefing as the situation progresses.
CHALLENGES
Lack of isolation units at health facilities and at points of entry in the regions.
Inadequate Personal Protective Equipments.
Insufficient COVID-19 laboratory testing kits

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7. RECOMMENDATIONS
« Establish fully equipped isolation units at health facilities and at points of entry in the
regions.
= Fast track procurement process for Personal Protective Equipment and COVID-19
laboratory testing kits
Approved:
Date: 31.03.2020
Secfetariat
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