A family of eleven locked-down on Saturday over coronavirus after their 20-year- old daughter came into close contact with the Romanian couple who tested positive for coronavirus, has called for help.
Their daughter, an employee at the guesthouse were the Romanian couple were guests told NBC radio Omurari FM popular programme Keetute that since Saturday, the only help they have received from the health authorities are sanitisers, pairs of gloves and a free voucher of electricity.
Narrating her story to the national radio presenter yesterday, the 20-year-old said she came in close contact with the Romanian couple last week on Wednesday when she was preparing the couple’s room.
“I had a laugh with them, the man was coughing which was nothing unusual as they were coming from Spain where it’s a bit cold,” she said.
She said after work she took a bus back home and only after 12h00 mid-night did she receive a call from her boss that the Romanian couple she was serving had tested positive for coronavirus.
She said health officials only came to her on Saturday evening and her blood was only withdrawn on Monday and she is still waiting for the results.
The 20-year-old says she and her family are now suffering since they cannot go out and had run out of food.
“We are being stigmatised, no one is coming close to our house, people are scared – we normally survive from part time work, no one in my family has a permanent job, we do piece jobs- so life have become a struggle,” she said.
She said her family includes her 87-year-old granny, 65-year-old pensioner, 45-year old man, 41-year-old mother, 30-year-old sister, 26-year-old sister, 16-year-old and seven and two year-old sisters.
Deputy executive director in the ministry of health, Bertha Katjivena told this reporter that she was in a meeting and will revert the call later.
Namibia currently has two confirmed cases of the dreaded virus. Finance minister Calle Schlettwein said government has allocated N$124 million to help fight the coronavirus outbreak declared a national state of emergency by President Hage Geingob on Tuesday. -ktjitemisa@nepc.com.na