Covid-19 turns country upside down

Concerts, meetings, conferences, graduation ceremonies and other gatherings have been cancelled, while parents were left scurrying to make alternative arrangements after schools, kindergartens and crèches were closed yesterday because of the coronavirus. According to tourism minister Pohamba Shifeta, the Cabinet will today discuss further measures to mitigate the spread of the virus.Namibia's first two cases of the virus were confirmed over the weekend, with health minister Kalumbi Shangula saying they are trying to track down everyone a Romanian couple who flew from Doha to Windhoek last Wednesday were in contact with. The couple, who tested positive for the coronavirus on Friday, remain in quarantine.President Hage Geingob on Saturday, during an urgent media conference, introduced several measures to curb the spread of the deadly disease, which included banning “big gatherings” for a period of 30 days. Keep workplaces cleanLabour executive director Bro-Matthew Shinguadja yesterday urged all employees and employers to take the necessary precautionary measures to prevent the spread of the virus at workplaces.He said employers should make sure workplaces are clean and hygienic and surfaces like desks and telephones are cleaned with disinfectant.“Avail sanitising dispensers in prominent places around the workplace such as toilets, reception areas and conference rooms, and make sure these dispensers are regularly refilled.”Namibia Wildlife Resorts (NWR) said with some clients amending or cancelling their bookings, it has updated its cancellation policy to speak to the changing environment.The company said clients are therefore welcome to get in touch with any NWR booking office where they will be assisted on the way forward.“As a company, we are cognisant that the coronavirus is going to have a direct impact on our business in the coming months. It is for this reason that we have decided to extend our independence discount of 70% to April as well. We believe that this will present our domestic market an opportunity to visit us if they did not have an opportunity to do so in March. Also, foreign tourists who find themselves confined in Namibia for whatever reasons are free to extend their stay at any of our establishments,” said NWR acting managing director Dr Matthias Ngwangwama. Tender board closedThe Central Procurement Board of Namibia also informed its stakeholders that it would be closed to the public from Monday until further notice to put precautionary measures in place with regards to the coronavirus.The finance ministry announced that in view of the coronavirus, the ITAS e-filing and portal registration centres in Windhoek are temporarily closed until further notice. “The closure is to allow our office to put preventative measures in place. You will be informed when we are ready,” it said. Graduation ceremonies postponedThe Namibia University of Science of Technology (Nust) management held an urgent meeting on Sunday in light of the pandemic.According to the university, lengthy discussions were held by key staff, student representatives and other stakeholders to devise ways to mitigate the status quo and uphold the safety of the campus community.The meeting resolved that the mid-term break, scheduled for 6 to 10 April, has been shifted to 16 to 20 March. It said that the library, regional centres and lecture rooms will be closed during the mid-term break, however, the hotel school will remain open.“Large gatherings will not be permitted for the next 29 days. This is also applicable to faculty and departmental meetings and all meetings and events on the Nust calendar during this period.”According to the university, the graduation ceremonies scheduled for 29 and 30 April have been postponed to coincide with the October ceremonies.Students who are due to graduate in April will be able to pick up their certificates on campus or at a regional centre. The university said the graduation ceremony scheduled for 27 April will also be held in October.Nust also suspended travelling for official matters for the next 29 days for all staff and students.The University of Namibia (Unam) has also said that a broad-based digitisation process has begun and all staff who can work remotely will be informed to minimise staff at the university's campuses.It said the vocational school has also been modified, and that no face-to-face classes will take place. Arrangements are being made for lecturers to avail content to students through online platforms.With regards to full-time students, Unam is on recess, it said. “This means no classes were scheduled to take this week from 16 to 20 March.”It said that graduation ceremonies have also been modified and students will now graduate in absentia.The university said students from the faculty of health sciences have temporarily been withdrawn from health facilities. This is to allow for students to receive adequate training on infectious disease protocols and be equipped to provide assistance as the need may arise.Gondwana Collection also said it has postponed its 'Dinner in the Dark' event, scheduled for 20 March, to a future yet-to-be-determined date.The fundraising dinner was to be held at the Windhoek Country Club and proceeds would have been donated via the Sport on the Move Foundation to visually-impaired top athletes Ananias Shikongo, Johannes Nambala and Lahja Ishitile in support of their participation in the 2020 Paralympics in Tokyo.The Poultry Producers Association has also postponed its member and information day scheduled for 18 March until further notice. Construction firms urged to provide masks, glovesThe Metal and Allied Union of Namibia (Manwu) has also called on construction companies to provide masks and gloves to workers.Manwu secretary-general Justina Jonas also called for the suspension of breathalyser tests when workers report for duty.“We have asked employers to provide masks, gloves and other sanitation equipment workers will require at their places of work,” said Jonas. “It is important that the workers wear masks. We just want to make sure that it is enforced.”She added companies were struggling to provide workers with masks due to supply issues.Meanwhile, the Namibian National Labour Organisation (Nanlo) has called all employers in Namibia who make use of breathalysers to immediately cease using these devices as this may lead to the spread of the coronavirus. “We further call on government to issue a direct instruction through its relevant agencies to support our call to suspend the use of breathalysers by its traffic department,” Nanlo president Evilastus Kaaronda said.ELLANIE SMIT AND OGONE TLHAGE

Covid-19 turns country upside down

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Namibian Sun 2024-12-05

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Covid-19 turns country upside down

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Namibian Sun 2024-12-05

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