WINDHOEK, June 15 — Namibia is in the last stages of the fifth COVID-19 wave, said President Hage Geingob on the occasion of the 44th COVID-19 public briefing Tuesday.
Geingob said the fifth COVID-19 wave started on May 10 with 222 cases, with a peak of 585 cases of infection reported for May 18. During the period under review, the country recorded 21 COVID-19-related deaths.
The president also said the country’s ability to manage the infection rate is a testament to the country’s hard work and dedication, as well as its shared commitment to fighting COVID-19.
As it stands, the country has about 1,920 active cases with five people in the intensive care unit.
Also speaking at the media briefing, Minister of Health and Social Services Kalumbi Shangula said although cases were dropping drastically, there is an increase in the number of new cases driven by the BA.4 and BA.5 sub-lineages of the omicron variant.
The BA.4 and BA.5 share similar characteristics in that they are highly transmissible, Shangula warned, suggesting that people should remain vigilant.
Shangula also said the COVID-19 vaccine uptake is still very slow and this has resulted in the country destroying more than 300,000 expired doses of COVID-19 vaccines.
The country’s current COVID-19 public health regulations remain unchanged until July 16. (Xinhua)
