COVID-19 pandemic in Namibia
The COVID-19 pandemic in Namibia is part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The Minister of Health and Social Services, Kalumbi Shangula, announced on 14 March 2020 that the virus had reached Namibia. A Romanian couple constituted the two first cases and recovered 79 days after their initial diagnosis.
| COVID-19 pandemic in Namibia | ||
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Cumulative COVID-19 cases per region as of 29 September.
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Cumulative COVID-19 deaths per region as of 20 September.
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| Disease | COVID-19 | |
| Virus strain | SARS-CoV-2 | |
| Location | Namibia | |
| First outbreak | Wuhan, Hubei, China (suspected) 30°35′14″N 114°17′17″E | |
| Index case | Windhoek, Khomas Region | |
| Arrival date | 11 March 2020 (3 years, 11 months and 4 days) | |
| Confirmed cases | 172,264 (updated 15 February 2024) | |
Deaths | 4,103 (updated 15 February 2024) | |
| Government website | ||
| Namibian Statistics Agency | ||
On 17 March 2020, President Hage Geingob declared a state of emergency which introduced measures such as the closure of all borders, suspension of gatherings and economic related resolutions. The Ministry of Health and Social Services also established an Emergency Response team, operating 24/7, which aimed to intensify the surveillance of COVID-19 in the country, especially at the borders of Namibia. On 28 March 2020, the country went into a full lockdown.
No infections were reported from 6 April 2020 to 20 May 2020, however there was a notable increase in cases after this period - possibly due to local transmission. A second and higher rise of infections began in July 2020, following relaxed restrictions in several regions. The first death was reported 116 days after the arrival of COVID-19 in Namibia.
On 31 July, the Health Minister announced a relaxation in quarantine protocols that would account for faster recovery rates. Patients with a positive COVID-19 result will automatically be regarded as recovered 10 days after their infection, given that they do not display symptoms anymore. According to the Minister, "it has been proven that a person may test positive for COVID-19, for many more week after the symptoms have resolved. However, this does not mean such person is still infective or poses a risk to infect others (sic)".
As of September 2020, Namibia was within the top 18 number of countries with the most COVID-19 cases reported in Africa. Although Erongo lead with the most cases and deaths, Khomas region started to experience a community outbreak and numbers rose exponentially to match that of Erongo. In mid-September, most restrictions were lifted after a significant decrease in daily cases.