Covid-19 panic grips National Council
JEMIMA BEUKES
JEMIMA BEUKES
WINDHOEK
Panic erupted in the National Council this week when regional councillors from Erongo, which remains locked down due to a flare up of Covid-19 cases, reported for parliamentary sessions without going into quarantine.
Seven cases of Covid-19 have so far been recorded in the region, with four patients hospitalised in Walvis Bay. Namibian Sun has reliably learnt that National Council administrative staff raised alarm, saying their lives were put at risk, with a handful of regional councillors joining in the boycott.
This prompted the National Council executive to intervene.
Self-isolation
Walvis Bay Rural constituency councillor Johannes Nangolo, who travelled to Windhoek after the town was locked down at stage one of the state of emergency, is now in self-isolation.
The two other Erongo councillors, Melania Ndjago (Karibib) and Johannes Tuhafeni (Omaruru), who were in Windhoek before the region went into full lockdown, have not been quarantined.
National Council executive director Tousy Namiseb explained that Nangolo already underwent a Covid-19 test and will remain in quarantine until the results are known.
“We would like to state that the National Council is not an authorised entity to issue travel permits to anyone seeking to travel out of the stage one lockdown area,” he said.
Measures in place
Namiseb said they have introduced mandatory temperature screening for all members and are also providing hand sanitiser.
“At one-hour intervals and before and after every meeting and sitting of the National Council, our cleaners thoroughly disinfect surfaces such as table tops, door handles, chair armrests and other surfaces likely to come in contact with hands,” he said.
[email protected]
JEMIMA BEUKES
WINDHOEK
Panic erupted in the National Council this week when regional councillors from Erongo, which remains locked down due to a flare up of Covid-19 cases, reported for parliamentary sessions without going into quarantine.
Seven cases of Covid-19 have so far been recorded in the region, with four patients hospitalised in Walvis Bay. Namibian Sun has reliably learnt that National Council administrative staff raised alarm, saying their lives were put at risk, with a handful of regional councillors joining in the boycott.
This prompted the National Council executive to intervene.
Self-isolation
Walvis Bay Rural constituency councillor Johannes Nangolo, who travelled to Windhoek after the town was locked down at stage one of the state of emergency, is now in self-isolation.
The two other Erongo councillors, Melania Ndjago (Karibib) and Johannes Tuhafeni (Omaruru), who were in Windhoek before the region went into full lockdown, have not been quarantined.
National Council executive director Tousy Namiseb explained that Nangolo already underwent a Covid-19 test and will remain in quarantine until the results are known.
“We would like to state that the National Council is not an authorised entity to issue travel permits to anyone seeking to travel out of the stage one lockdown area,” he said.
Measures in place
Namiseb said they have introduced mandatory temperature screening for all members and are also providing hand sanitiser.
“At one-hour intervals and before and after every meeting and sitting of the National Council, our cleaners thoroughly disinfect surfaces such as table tops, door handles, chair armrests and other surfaces likely to come in contact with hands,” he said.
[email protected]
Comments
Namibian Sun
No comments have been left on this article