On Saturday, government announced that Namibia has recorded her first cases of the deadly coronavirus after a couple from Romania who arrived in the country on Wednesday both tested positive and have been quarantined.
The latest development also saw President Hage Geingob on Saturday announcing that government would implement numerous strong measures to try and contain the pandemic, including banning all mass gatherings for 30 days, clamping down on inbound and outbound travels to and from Qatar, Ethiopia and Germany with immediate effect for a period of 30 days and cancelling Namibia’s 30th independence celebrations scheduled for March 21.
In the wake of the deadly virus, which also saw a wholesale suspension of all sporting activities in Namibia, New Era Sport reporter Maurice Kambukwe yesterday took to the streets to gauge the views of the public around the pandemic.
Samba Ackim
By shutting down all sport activity, government is trying to protect the lives of all Namibians. The government’s decision will also help in containing the spread of the disease. Although those making a living from sport will mostly be affected by the lockdown, I still believe this is the best decision in the utmost interest of all Namibians. Hopefully, the government will also do something to ensure that those who live from sport are assisted in one way or the other.
Joseph Ndumba
What the government is doing is the right thing because they do not want people to be infected. You surely understand that this disease is dangerous, because it is unlike other random diseases like flu. I’m happy government is taking good preventative measures. Despite affecting others who earn a living from sport, I’m convinced it’s for the best of the country.
Ester Haita
It’s not a bad thing that the government is doing by totally shutting down all sporting events in the country. They are just trying to save people’s lives. By canceling all sport activities, they are trying to protect us from contracting the disease. But on the flipside, companies that sell sports equipment will suffer big time because many people won’t be buying their products as usual.
Chris-Lee Louw
It’s a good idea by government, it will protect more people from being infected by the highly contagious virus. I think it is okay for the athletes to temporarily lose some income as opposed to dying. So it is for the good of all to prevent it now by shutting down all sporting events.
Photos: Maurice Kambukwe
Thomas Matjayi
Obviously, it’s going to impact people in a bad way, as there won’t be any profit for our local athletes who would have benefited from local competitions. They [athletes] might at this point feel that life is against them, but this is a decision that is for the greater good of all Namibian citizens as the virus won’t spread at a faster pace.
Joaquim Sanene
It’s a virus that is contagious and the government shutting down all sporting activity will, in the end, benefit all of us. Because at sport gatherings, people stand in groups of hundreds of people when cheering on their teams and it is in those groups where the virus will easily spread and affect more people. But on the other hand, it might cause depression on others who depend on sport, but it’s still a necessary decision.