SITREP 51


SITREP 51



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Ministry of Health and Social Services
Republic of Namibia
ae World Health
S37 Organization
NAMIBIA
Outbreak Name
Date & Time of
report
Prepared by
COVID-19
08 May 2020 22:00
Surveillance Team
Country affected
Investigation start date
ia
13 March 2020
Date of outbreak declaration in Namibia: 14 March 2020.
1.
SITUATION UPDATE / HIGHLIGHTS
e No new confirmed case was reported in the last 34 days (5 April — 8 May 2020).
e Cumulatively, 16 confirmed cases have been reported in the country, to date.
© Ofthe 16 confirmed cases, ten (10) have recovered
o One confirmed case recovered today (08/05/2020))
e Supervised quarantine for all people arriving from abroad, for 14 days is ongoing.
e Stage 1 of the state of emergency ended on 4 May 2020, and stage 2 is ongoing
from 5 May until 2 June 2020;
o Wearing a mask in public is mandatory
o All borders will remain closed except for essential/critical services and
humanitarian support to the response.
o All other prevention measures are applicable to the entire country
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2. BACKGROUND
Description of the cases
e 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 March 2020.
e Total number of imported cases currently stands at 13 while 3 cases are local
transmissions.
e There is no evidence of community transmission in the country at the moment.
Table 1: Confirmed cases by region as of 08 May 2020
Reporting
Total Cases | New cases | Active cases | Recovered | Death
region
Khomas
ll
0
2
9
0
//Karas
1
0
1
0
0
Erongo
4
0
3
1
0
Total
16
0
6
10
0
0
ggaaSRgsgSeeSgoagsSlgas28esSsg8ea5a8esesag888gg085e85g8a838g.ge8s& X29 ggsRoSas8eg2Ss2ea4o as8ssg8S
Date of symptoms onset
Figure 1: Epi-curve for COVID-19 confirmed cases in Namibia as of 08 May 2020
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6
woaaS3
5
4
Rie
E
22
_i. io
Oto4
Sto14
15to34 35to59 60to79
80+
Age group (years)
m Male
@ Female
Figure 2: Age and sex distribution for COVID-19 confirmed cases in Namibia as of 08 May
2020
COVID-19 Cases-Namibia
‘@® Districts
© Positive Cases
Lab Tested Cases
(No Test
0—10— 0 20— 0 30— 0 400 500km
Figure 3: Suspected and confirmed COVID-19 cases in Namibia per District, 08 May 2020
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3. PUBLIC HEALTH ACTION / RESPONSE INTERVENTIONS
EPIDEMIOLOGY & SURVEILLANCE
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 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
Active surveillance working case definition as of 20 April 2020
A patient diagnosed with Upper/Lower Respiratory Infection (Mild or Severe)
presenting any of the following signs and symptoms: cough, sore throat, fever,
chills, myalgia/body pains or shortness of breath in the past 7 days.
Surveillance activities
= Daily pillar and intra-pillar discussions are held to deliberate daily progress,
gaps and way forward;
= Call centre continue operations for 24 hours every day.

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Data entry is ongoing and real-time data dashboard has been completed and
ready to be launched soon.
Active case search in all regions aimed at looking for possible community
transmission is ongoing.
Weekly ZOOM sessions with regional teams set to be held every Thursday, last
meeting held on 08.05.2020
An online part of the intergrated COVID-19 training was conducted with
participants ranging between 93-113 participants per day with support of WHO
and all areas were covered except Rapid Response which will be covered next
week
Contact tracing is ongoing (see table 2) and all contacts will be tested.
People under mandatory quarantine are being monitored daily (see table 3) and
will be tested on day 12 before release on day 15 if they test negative.
Contact tracing Summary
Table 2: National contacts tracing summary for COVID-19 as of 08.05.2020
Variables
Contact risk level
High | Medium | Low | Total
Total Number of contacts listed (potential)
68
52
137 | 257
Total Number of contacts identified
68
52
121 | 241
Total Number of active contacts (being followed)
1
0
0
1
Number of contacts monitored/followed in the last 24hrs | 1
0
0
1
Total number of Contacts completed 14-days follow up | 64
49
116 | 229
Total Number of contacts that developed signs &
25
8
symptoms
7
40
Total Number of contacts tested positive
3
1
*Total Number of contacts tested without signs and
20
9
symptoms
0
4
46
#75
© Total Number of contacts lost to follow up
0
2
5
7
Total number of Contacts never reached
0
0
16
16
*Number ofcontacts 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 of origin
# Number includes all contacts (23) for the truck driver who was confirmed in Zambia were tested and were all negative.
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Table 3: Number of people in mandatory quarantine facilities as of 08.05.2020
Region
Kunene
Omaheke
Kavango
Omusati
Oshana
Ohangwena
Hardap
Otjozondjupa
Khomas
Zambezi
//Karas
Erongo
Total
Newly
quarantined
24hrs
0
9
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
9
0
0
18
Cumulative
number
people
22
29
4
57
6
131
40
168
221
147
109
35
969
Number of | Number of people
of | people
in
quarantine
discharged | now
0
22
15
14
2
2
6
31
2
4
54
T.
40
0
100
68
154
67
109
38
93
16
35
0
610
359
LABORATORY INVESTIGATIONS
As of 08 May 2020, 1418 COVID-19 specimens were tested in the two laboratories
(NIP and Path Care) as per table 4. below:
Table 4: COVID-19 specimens recorded at NIP and Path care Laboratories as of
08.05.2020
Laborato:
NIP | Path care a Africa
Total sample received by the Laboratory
1235 | 339
=
Total sample tested
1085 | 333
-
Total results received
1085 | 333
=
Total sample re-tested
91
I
-
Total results positive
9
6
*]
Total results negative
1076 | 327
-
Total sample discarded
58 4
-
Total results pending
0
1
-
Total results inconclusive/indeterminate
0
0
-
@Total new suspected cases in last 24 hours
31
57
-
*] Patient specimen collected and tested in South Africa, he travelled back before results came out
@ Total new suspected cases laboratory results received within past 24 hours
Total
1574
1418
1418
92
16
1403
62
1
0
108
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COORDINATION AND LEADERSHIP:
Daily feedback meetings between pillar leads, coordination team and Incident
manager (IM) ongoing, to share daily accomplishments and to address key
challenges.
Integrated Zoom trainings started on 6 May 2020 and ongoing.
CASE MANAGEMENT
Out of the 16 cumulative confirmed cases, 10 have recovered, and have been
discharged after testing negative twice for COVID-19 at 48 hours’ interval.
The remaining 6 active cases are in stable condition and are all asymptomatic.
Conversion of casualty department at Windhoek Central Hospital (WCH) into a
highly infectious referral ICU is nearing completion with a total of8 beds.
Construction of WCH isolation facility complete, installation of oxygen and
slophopper completed, and interlocks installation is also completed.
Katutura State Hospital (KSH) TB ward being re-purposed into a COVID-19 ward.
Completion date set for 09 May 2020.
Pre-fabricated isolation units being constructed in Opuwo, Oshakati, and Rundu.
INFECTION PREVENTION AND CONTROL (IPC)
Conducted a training on Overview of COVID-19 and IPC for HCWs in Correctional
facilities and from Ministry of Defence
SOP for management and handling of remains of people who die from infectious
diseases completed and signed.
LOGISTICS:
Facilitation of the allocation of quarantine facilities in the country and
transportation for discharged people from quarantine facilities is ongoing.
Provision of commodities’ specifications and verification for procurement is being
done regularly.
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POINTS OF ENTRY:
A meeting was held with other stakeholders, after which the SOP for the
management and monitoring of trucks and other cross border vehicle drivers was
finalized.
The implementation of the SOP will be enhanced once the Transport Sector
directives to combat the spread of COVID-19 has been gazetted.
Continuing to work on the training content of the planned integrated training for
COVID-19 response.
Screening and inspection of incoming travellers and trucks at points of entry and
check points are ongoing
RISK COMMUNICATION AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT:
The communication hub continues to give updates on COVID-19 and clarify
miscommunications on a daily basis.
©. This is done concurrently with the social media updates.
The Media continue to communicate messages on COVID-19 and the lifting of the
lockdown to stage 2.
The RCCE continues to share messages on COVID-19 prevention measures.
PSYCHOSOCIAL SUPPORT SERVICES:
The psychosocial support team offered counselling services to 253 persons under
quarantine countrywide. Counselling is also provided to 3 COVID-19 confirmed
persons and their families.
A total of 523 persons in need of shelter housed at two sites in Windhoek, while a
total of 102 still on the street.
Provision of health education, psychosocial support services, as well as food at
places where persons in need of shelter are placed are ongoing.
Draft leaflet was developed on messages for gender-based violence, alcohol and
drug abuse, suicide prevention and prevention of elder abuse during COVID-19.
Drafted SOPs: (i) Bereavement amidst COVID-19 finalized; Pre- and Post-testing
Counselling; and Psychosocial Support Services to Persons in Quarantine.
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4. CHALLENGES
e Inadequate isolation units at health facilities in the regions.
© Unavailability of swabs, probes and primers for NIP laboratory to start testing for
Seasonal Influenza (HIN1) from beginning May 2020.
e Inadequate viral swabs and PPE at different regions such to implement active case
search testing.
5. RECOMMENDATIONS
e Establish fully equipped isolation units at health facilities in the regions.
e NIP to fast track procurement process laboratory testing kits (swabs, probes and
primers) for Seasonal Influenza (H1N1) testing.
e IPC and logistics pillar to continue maintaining the procurement and supplies of
sufficient PPE to the regions to ensure response is not interrupted.
Approved:
pu
:
Incident Manager
Date: 08.05.2020
Secretariat
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