The ministry of health yesterday said it has traced at least 18 people who had contacts with a Namibian truck driver who initially tested positive and later negative in Zambia at the weekend.
The head of the Covid-19 surveillance at the ministry of health Emmy-Else Ndevaetela said the authorities are still tracing more contacts. The Namibian man was confirmed by the Zambian authorities as one of the nine people who tested positive for Covid-19 on Thursday. However, health minister Dr Kalumbi Shangula at the weekend clarified that the man was cleared after he tested negative on two occasions. Shangula says according to information provided to him, the truck driver entered Zambia from Namibia through the Katima Mulilo Border Post on 19 April and was place under quarantine.
“He together with other drivers were tested for Covid-19 and the test came out negative. He was given a release document and travelled to Kasubelesa. On arrival at Kasubelesa, he was summoned back to Masaiti to be retested,” he explained. “He went back to Masaiti and was swabbed. The test came out positive and was placed in isolation. He was subsequently tested two times. These tests came out negative.”
Shangula said the driver was subsequently cleared and allowed to contiunue with his journey. “We are informed he is doing well physically and is not ill. There is no other Namibian reported to have been tested positive on Covid-19 in Zambia,” Shangula said. He said out of abundance of caution, the ministry of health immediately initiated contact tracing off all persons who may have had contact with the said truck driver. “I wish to once again caution members of the public from publishing and distributing unauthenticated information. We call upon the nation to use the power of social media as a force for public good,” he said. Namibia has not reported any new cases since 5 April this year. Eight of the 16 confirmed cases in the country have all recovered, while the remaining active cases are in stable condition, according to the health ministry.