KEETMANSHOOP – //Kharas governor Aletha Frederick said coronavirus has touched every corner of the globe and changed the course of history. She urged residents to get vaccinated, as the region has doses available.
“We still have vaccines available in the region; let us make the choice to get vaccinated for our own benefit and that of our community,’’ said Frederick.
This was her view during a Covid-19 media briefing with stakeholders that took place in Keetmanshoop recently.
She said the fact that the Delta variant was found in Namibia after samples were analysed is very concerning for the country.
The governor raised concern about residents not adhering to or ignoring Covid-19 regulations.
“It is with great concern that despite the increasing number of Covid-19 cases, new infections and deaths, the general public are still behaving in total ignorance of these health protocols,” she added.
Frederick called on communities in the region and Namibia as a whole to improve their behaviour by enforcing the implementation of the regulations and maintaining the prescribed social distancing at burials and hotspots to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
“I further want to emphasise that seasonal changes will bring new challenges to our Covid-19 response, hence the need to prepare for the risks brought by cold weather,’’ she said.
She urged residents to consider using the vaccination programme to protect those at the highest risk from Covid-19.
According to the daily updates from the Ministry of Health and Social Services, //Kharas so far administered the first dose of Sinopharm and AstraZeneca to 5 438 persons and 1 371 have received their second jabs. The total of 6 809 residents vaccinated until 9 July 2021 represents close to 6% of those eligible for vaccination in the region.
After receiving three batches of coronavirus vaccination doses, none of it has been redistributed to other regions, as it is intended solely for //Kharas as a means to intensify the vaccination campaign and also not to run out of doses soon.
She also said, being aware of the significant gaps in vaccine coverage and the still imminent risk of infection, now may not be the ideal time for travel, especially to places known to be hotspots in the country.
“I urge our community to only leave home when absolutely necessary,’’ she added.
The politician expressed her profound gratitude to all health workers and other frontline workers who tirelessly work around the clock in their fight against the coronavirus.
“Your commitment and hard work are acknowledged and valuable to the community of //Kharas region,” she said when applauding them.
She also declared the region’s sincere appreciation to the private sector for their support and contribution towards the emergency response to help in the fight against the pandemic.
“Now is the time to bolster coordination among public health, civil society and the private sector teams,’’ she reasoned in addition.
The governor strongly recommended that community leaders and members of the private and public sectors join hands and share ideas to join as partners with government in establishing a Public Health Emergency Operating Centre as was done in other regions.