WALVIS BAY - The Erongo region wants to increase its Covid-19 vaccination target from the current 400 people to at least 1 000 per day.
This is to reach the anticipated target of vaccinating at least 68% of its residents to free it from the grip of Covid-19 that have killed at least 280 people in the region so far.
Erongo governor Neville Andre during his bi-weekly media briefing held at Swakopmund yesterday said the region’s task team will embark upon a vaccination drive that will increase the vaccination points to a least 16 apart from mobile teams and those at district health facilities.
Erongo this week received 16 192 doses of the Sinopharm vaccine, of which 1 650 was dispatched to Omaruru, 1 624 to Usakos, 6 066 to Swakopmund and 6 852 for Walvis Bay. “We are going to engage all our stakeholders both private and public sectors to drive this campaign as well as engage residents through social media platforms to counter misinformation against the vaccine,” Andre said.
He added that they would also focus on visiting remote areas and old age homes to make sure more people have access to the vaccines. “We need our people to get vaccinated. Only then will we be able to go back to our normal life. Let us do it together,” Andre appealed. Erongo health director, Anna Jonas also indicated that the region’s health facilities still have sufficient doses.
She added that as a precautionary measure, they roped in a 25-bed private isolation facility of Namdock at Walvis Bay, another facility in Henties Bay that was facilitated by the private sector and the Tamariskia Hall that was turned into a temporary facility by Swakopmund regional councillor, Ciske Howard-Smith. “We have sent submissions to the ministry so that these facilities are approved and will be used once we get the green light from the ministry,” Jonas explained.
She added that they also anticipate setting up prefabricated facilities in Swakopmund so that they can deal with increasing Covid-19 cases.
Erongo’s chief medical officer Leonard Kabonga also explained that they are currently experiencing more cases and hospitalisations compared to the previous two waves. “Each wave is a learning curve and we have put some systems in place to help deal with the current wave. Hence, we appeal to residents to seek assistance from healthcare facilities especially for assessment so that we can decide whether you need to be hospitalised,” he appealed.