SITREP 73


SITREP 73



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Ministry of Health and Social Services
Republic of Namibia
WOorrgladnizHaetailotnh
NAMIBIA
Outbreak Name
Date & Time of
this report
Prepared by
COVID-19 outbreak
30.05.2020
23:00 hrs
Surveillance Team
Country affected
Investigation start date
Namibia
13 March 2020
-
SITUATION UPDATE / HIGHLIGHTS
e One new confirmed case was recorded today (30 May 2020).
e Cumulatively, 24 confirmed cases have been reported in the country,
© Of the 24 confirmed cases, fourteen 14 (58.3%) have recovered.
e Twenty-one 21 (87.5%) of the confirmed cases are imported while 3 (12.5%) are
local transmissions.
© No death has been recorded, case fatality rate is 0%
e There is no evidence of community transmission in the country at the moment.
e On 28 May 2020, His Excellency, The President of the Republic of Namibia
announced a transition of all the regions (with exeption of the Walvis Bay Local
Authority Area) from stage 2 of lockdown to stage 3 with effect at midnight 01 June
2020 until 29 June 2020.
o Stage 3 of lockdown covers a period of 28 days/ two incubation periods.
o Due to the two recent confirmed cases in Walvis Bay District, The
Walvis Bay Local Authority Area will revert to stage 1 of lockdown
with effect from 19h00, 29 May 2020 until midnight, 08 May 2020.
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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 On 30 May 2020, Namibia recorded a new case in Erongo Region, Walvis Bay
District bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 24.
o The new case is a 51 years old Namibian male who is part of the 8 crew
members on a fishing vessel that returned from DRC on 5 May 2020. This
is the same vessel where case number 22 originted from.
o On 28 May 2020, Namibia recorded a case in Khomas Region, of a 38 years
old Namibian female who travelled from Tanzania on 23 May 2020.
3. EPIDEMIOLOGY
Since 14 March, 2020 when the COVID-19 outbreak was declared in Namibia, a total of 24
cases have been confirmed. As of today, four (4) Regions have been affected, of which Knhomas
region recorded the highest number of cases; 12 (50%). while Hardap region recorded the least
number of cases; 2 (8.3%). The distribution of confirmed cases by region is presented in figure
1 below.
14
12
3$e
10
8
6
2€ 4
;;
a
Khomas.
aa
//Karas
Region
i
Erongo
a
Hardap
™Number ofcases mActivecases mRecovered mDeath
Figure I Distribution of Confirmed COVID-19 cases in Namibia, by region as of 30 May
2020
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As presented in figure 2 below, Namibia recorded its cases of COVID-19 during epidemiological
weeks 11, 12,13, 14, 21 and 22, where most cases (7) were recorded during epidemiological week 13.
8
7
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
Epidemiological week, 2020
Figure 2: Epi-curve for confirmed COVID-19 cases in Namibia as of 30 May 2020
Of the 24 confirmed cases, more males; 17 (70.8%) are affected compared to their female
counterparts; 7 (29.2%). The age group 15-34 is more affected (9 cases) than all the other age
groups. The age and sex distribution of confirmed COVID-19 cases is presented in figure 3
below.
8
7
a3&85 6
34
3
=£5 23
0|
=
4
Oto4
5to14
15 to 34
35 to 59
60 to 79
80+
Age group
=Male @ Female
Figure 3: Age and sex distribution of COVID-19 confirmed cases in Namibia as of 30 May
2020
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0 100 200 300 400 500 km
COVID-19 Cases-Namibia
® Positive Cases
Lab Tested Cases by District
(™1N-o49Test
(@m@i502-0110110--10280000
Figure 3: Suspected and confirmed COVID-19 cases in Namibia per District, 30 May 2020
4. PUBLIC HEALTH ACTION / RESPONSE INTERVENTIONS AND
SURVEILLANCE
e Case definitions as of 20 March 2020:
Suspected 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

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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
e 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.
e Surveillance activities
= Call centre continue operations for 24 hours every day; 843 calls answered at
the hotline today (30.05.2020) and 5 alerts investigated.
= Data entry is ongoing, realtime data dashboard will be launched on | June 2020.
= Active case search in all regions is ongoing.
= Contact tracing and monitoring is ongoing (see Table 1).
= People under mandatory quarantine are being monitored daily (see Table 2) and
are being tested on day 12 before release on day 15if they test negative.
«Plans are underway to conduct online Data management training early June.
Contact tracing Summary
As of 30 May 2020, for the 24 confirmed cases, a total number of 378 contacts have been
identified. Two hundred and Sixty (260) contacts have completed their 14 days of follow up
and 107 are still active and being monitored daily for 14 days (Table 1).
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Table 1: National contacts tracing summary for COVID-19 as of 30 May 2020
Total Number of contacts listed for follow up (potential)
Total Number of contacts identified (cumulative)
Total number of Contacts never reached
119
76
199
119
76
183
378
0
0
16
16
© Total Number of contacts lost to follow up
0
2
5
7
Total Number of contacts that developed signs & symptoms
25
9
9
43
Total Number of contacts that tested positive (became cases)
3
1
0
4
Number of active contacts monitored/followed in the last 24hrs
42
19
46
107
Total number of Contacts completed 14-days follow up
71
57
132 260
© Seven contacts are lost to follow up, all are non-Namibians and have travelled back to their countries of origin.
As of 30 May 2020, a total of 2064 persons who came into the country have been put into
supervised quarantine facilities around the country. Of the 2064, 1468 have been discharged
and 596 are currently quarantined (Table 2)
Table 2: Number of people in mandatory quarantine facilities as of 30 May 2020
Kunene
0
52
42
10
Omaheke
0
51.
55
2
Kavango
0
13
4
9
Omusati
0
Oshana
0
Ohangwena
0
Hardap
0
83
74
9
18
8
10
138
114
24
134
116
18
Otjozondjupa
0
Khomas
54
298
215.
83
571
322
Zambezi
2,
297
260
37
*//Karas
0
280
189
91
Erongo
0
101
48
53
Oshikoto
0
22
21
1
Total
56
2064
1468
596
*Karas region had admitted people in mandatory quarantine but were never reported to national
level
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Table 3. Distribution of truck drivers who came into Namibia from neighboring countries
and their destination regions on 30 May 2020.
Karas
Khomas
Oshana
Otjozondjupa
Kavango
Ohangwena
Hardap
Kunene
Omaheke
Omusati
Oshikoto
Zambezi
Erongo
Total
220
LABORATORY INVESTIGATIONS
e As of 30 May 2020, a total of 3680 (including 180 re-tests) COVID-19 specimens
were tested in the two laboratories (NIP and Path Care) as per table 5 below:
Table 5: COVID-19 specimens recorded at NIP and Path care Laboratories as of 30 May
2020
Total sample received by the Laboratot
Total sample tested
Total sample re-tested
24
Total results positive
17
6
Total results negative
Total sample discarded
58
8
Total results pendi
1
0
Total results inconclusive/indeterminate
0
0
Total new s
ted cases in last 24 hours
89
44
*] Patient specimen collected and tested in South Africa, he travelled back before results came out
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COUNTRY COORDINATION, PLANNING AND MONITORING
© Continues to attend the IM Briefing Meetings and agreed to hold regular meetings
with the IM. The team proposed that:
© The National level consider urgent deployment of an integrated team of
technical experts to the following priority border regions (Erongo, Karas,
Hardap, Zambezi, Omaheke, Kavango, Ohangwena, Omusati and
Kunene).
o An integrated team of technical experts should be representative of the key
pillars — IPC/Case Management, Coordination, RCCE, Psychosocial
support, PoE as well as Surveillance/RRT.
e Out of the 24 cumulative confirmed cases, 14 have recovered after testing negative
twice for COVID-19 at 48 hours’ interval.
e Of the 10 active cases, | is still in ICU but in a stable condition while the other 9
are all asymptomatic.
INFECTION PREVENTION AND CONTROL:
o IPC activities are on going including distribution of PPE according to
Regional plans .
LOGISTICS.
e Facilitation of the allocation of quarantine facilities in the country and
transportation for discharged people from quarantine facilities is ongoing.
e Provision of commodities’ specifications and verification for procurement is being
done regularly.
e Distribution of PPEs to the regions
POINTS OF ENTRY:
e Screening and inspection of incoming travellers and trucks at points of entry and
check points is ongoing
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Plans are underway to prepare the regions to collect and submit daily reports at the
points of entry.
SOP for management and monitoring of cross border road transport at designated
Points of Entry and COVID-19 checkpoints finalised
RISK COMMUNICATION AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT:
The COVID-19 Communication Center continues to update the public on the status
of the outbreak, the impact on different sectors and address rumours around
COVID-19.
Flayers on COVID-19 facts have been translated into 8 local languages, and a total
of 110 000 copies have been printed and they are being distributed to schools.
PSYCHOSOCIAL SUPPORT SERVICES:
Continous provision of health education, psychosocial support services, as well as
food to people in need of shelter.
5. CHALLENGES:
Inadequate isolation units at health facilities in the regions.
Insufficient PPE and swabs for sample collection from suspected cases identified
through active case search in some districts.
Inadequate nasopharyngeal swabs and appropriate transport media.
Karasburg district experience a shortage of Port Health staff
6. RECOMMENDATIONS AND WAY FORWARD:
Establish fully equipped isolation units at health facilities in the regions.
Logistics pillar to continue with the procurement and distribution of sufficient PPE
to the regions to ensure that response is not interrupted.
NIP to continue sourcing for swabs and appropriate transport media for all districts.
//Kharas region should motivate for new Port Health staff
Approved:
In lent anager
Date: 30 May 2020
fa
Secretariat
9]