WALVIS BAY – Erongo governor Neville Andre says the region is better prepared for the second Covid-19 wave currently being experienced in the country.
Andre yesterday said the region’s first brush with Covid-19 was like a learning curve that now allows it to deal better with the virus that has claimed the lives of 240 Namibians and million others around the world.
“It was quite a challenge when it hit Erongo, especially Walvis Bay which became a hotspot for Covid-19 last year, seeing that it was a new virus to all of us,” he said.
“It brought a lot of challenges that resulted in both state and the private sector pooling all their resources together to upgrade state facilities in order to cope with the demands that came along with it.”
He added the bed and oxygen capacity is also sufficient at this stage and that all the district hospitals in the region are working closely together while assisting one another with critical information and medical supplies when necessary.
Meanwhile, health minister Dr Kalumbi Shangula in his daily Covid-19 update indicated Khomas and Erongo regions made up 29% and 28% of all confirmed cases announced yesterday.
Most concerning Erongo recorded 102 new cases, with Walvis Bay reporting 70 infections.
“It is concerning that Erongo is starting to come up again as a hotspot for Covid-19 infections, which could possibly be linked to the festive season where a lot of holidaymakers thronged Walvis Bay and Swakopmund districts,” said Shangula.
He added the ministry noted that more than 99% of the latest Covid-19 deaths are associated with lifestyle chronic diseases.
“It is time that we as a nation pay more attention to non-communicable diseases which underly these deaths. Let us pay attention to the type of food we eat, the drinks we consume and the type of substances we are inhaling. Let us limit the damage to our bodies, and to our health,” he said.
– edeklerk@nepc.com.na