Staff Reporter

Namibian health authorities yesterday reported zero Covid-19 deaths for the first time in over four months. The number of people admitted to hospital because of the virus or related issues has also gone down. In addition, the number of people catching the virus has declined, which marks a significant milestone for the country.

“For the first time after 131 days, we are not reporting any death. The last time we did not have a death in the daily report was on 19 April 2021,” said health minister Dr Kalumbi Shangula in the daily Covid-19 update issued on Monday. He attributed the consistent decline in the numbers of new infections, hospitalisations and deaths to the public’s cooperation in the fight against Covid-19, and thanked them for their efforts. 

The minister also extended gratitude to health workers for this 'no death' achievement, saying: “This is a clear demonstration that we can achieve the ostensibly impossible if we cooperate with one another. ”Meanwhile, as of Sunday, 29 August 2021, the cumulative confirmed cases stood at 124 900, while newly confirmed cases were 184. A total of 118 839 people have thus far recovered, indicating a recovery rate of 95%.

 Active cases stood at 2 678, and of this number, 177 are hospitalised, of whom 27 are in intensive care units. The number of people who have received their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine stood at 211 118, while 111 523 have received their second dose. However, 3 093 people have succumbed to Covid-19, while 279 have died of Covid-19-related illnesses, bringing the total to 3 372 deaths. There are currently 1 944 people in quarantine.