WALVIS BAY – A Namibian woman who returned last week from Australia via Doha is currently being quarantine as a precautionary measure due to the Coronavirus after she visited the Swakopmund state hospital with flu.

Ministry of health executive director Ben Nangombe over the weekend explicitly said that no Coronavirus has been detected in the country and that the woman is being kept in isolation until her results come back.
Nangombe said a medical doctor, who treated the woman, decided to isolate her and the two nurses after he discovered that the patient recently returned to Namibia from Australia. 

Acting health director in Erongo, Dr Shaker Amir on Saturday also told New Era that the woman was already screened at the Hosea Kutako airport upon arrival and also stayed a few days in Windhoek before she travelled to Swakopmund.

“This is not a confirmed case as the results of the samples taken from her is still outstanding and will be available within two weeks,” he said on Saturday. According to Shaker, health officials are on high alert at the coast with screening being done at the harbour port as well as the Walvis Bay airport.

Namibia as well as several African countries including Botswana had similar cases.  The first suspected case on the African continent was reported in Ivory Coast and then four more people were isolated in Ethiopia earlier this week. Kenya also reported a suspected case and on Thursday, Botswana also reported that five persons who travelled from Asia were kept in isolation while tests are being done to rule out infection with the deadly virus.

China has confirmed 7 753 people infected with Coronavirus worldwide, with 12 167 highly suspected cases.
The current death toll stands at 250, while 130 people have been cured since the virus was detected in Wuhan.
- edeklerk@nepc.com.na