Covid-19: Namibia extends (amended) mitigation measures until 31 May 2021!

Namibia's Minister of Health and Social Services, Dr. Kalumbi Shangula, announced on the occasion of the 27th Covid-19 briefing on the national response measures on 29 April 2021 that the mitigation measures to combat Covid-19 in Namibia are getting extended. According to the Minister, the new amended public health measures will come into force at 00:00 on 01 May 2021 and will lapse at midnight on 31 May 2021. The current regulations regarding to public gatherings, the curfew and the mandatory wearing of masks remain in place.

 

Covid-19: Namibia extends the national response measures for further 30 days!

Namibia's President Dr. Hage G. Geingob, announced during the 26th Covid-19 public briefing on the national response measures on 31 March 2021 that the measures to combat the spread of Covid-19 will be extended. The following measures will apply in Namibia for a period of thirty days from 01 April 2021 until 30 April 2021:

• The restriction on movement through a curfew remains in place from 22:00 until 04:00, daily.
• Public gatherings increase from the current limit of 50 to 100, for both outdoor and indoor events.
• Restaurants, bars and shebeens are permitted to extend the trading hours for liquor up to 22:00, Mondays to Saturdays. The sale of alcohol on Sundays remains prohibited.

 

Namibia extends the current measures to combat the spread of Covid-19 until end of March 2021!

Namibia's President Dr. Hage G. Geingob, announced during the 25th Covid-19 public briefing on the national response measures on 24 February 2021 that the current measures to combat the spread of Covid-19 will be extended for a period of 26 days, from 25 February 2021 to 31 March 2021. The country's Minister of Health and Social Services, Dr. Kalumbi Shangula, announced in his statement that the following amendments to the Public Health Regulations will come into force at 24:00 on 24 February 2021 until 23:59 on 31 March 2021 (travel and tourism-related only, for a complete list click here):

• Regulation 3: Wearing of masks
• This regulation remains unchanged.
• Regulation 4: Public gatherings
• This regulation remains unchanged. Public gatherings indoors shall not exceed two hours. Law enforement will be enhanced to ensure compliance.
• Regulations 4 A: Restriction of movement (curfew)
• This regulation remains unchanged. However, the curfew starts at 22:00 as is currently the case but ends at 04:00 instead of 05:00. In the case of boarding schools, out-weekends are suspended in schools were cases of Covid-19 have been detected or are suspected.
• Regulation 5: Restrictions relating to liquor
• This regulation remains unchanged. However, liquor may be sold to and purchased on Sundays and Public Holidays by guests booked in or staying at establishments such as hotels, guesthouses, bed & breakfast facilites and casinos
• Regulation 6: Resumption of business operations and activities
• Businesses are allowed to operate within their normal working hours, with adherence to Covid-19 protocols and subject to regulations four and five.
• Regulation 8: Restrictions related to entry into Namibia
• This regulation remains unchanged.
• Regulation 9: Quarantine and Covid-19 testing
• This regulation remains unchanged.
• Regulation 10: Public transport
• This regulation remains unchanged.

Dr. Kalumbi Shangula pointed out in his statement that where no amendments have been effected to a particular regulation, such regulation remains in force as originally gazetted and will thus, continue to have legal force and effect.

Namibia: Current Covid-19 regulations remain in place!

Namibia's President Dr. Hage G. Geingob, announced during the 24th Covid-19 public briefing on the national response measures that the current regulations, which are effective since 13 January 2021 (23rd Covid-19 public briefing on the national response measures and preparedness), will be maintained and extended for a period of 21 days, from 04 February 2021 to 24 February 2021. With respect to the restriction of movement, curfew hours will be adjusted to begin at 22:00 and end at 05:00, daily.

Namibia: Travellers do not require another Covid-19 PCR test when leaving the country!

According to the 23rd Covid-19 public briefing on the national response measures and preparedness by Namibia's Minister of Health and Social Services, Dr Kalumbi Shangula, on 13 January 2021, all non-Namibian travellers must present a negative Covid-19 Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test result that is not older than 7 days (168 hours) at Port of Entry. Travellers are not required to be quarantined or subjected to another test including when leaving Namibia. The period of 186 hours (or 7 days) is reckoned from the time the sample was taken. Namibian citizens may enter Namibia with or without any result. In the absence of any result, they will be subjected to a 7-day quarantine and testing at own cost.

Namibia: COVID-19 SARS-COV-2 PCR test result valid requirements on entry and related measures! [update]

update (08 January 2021): According to Government Gazette No. 7429, Persons permitted to enter Namibia [under subregulation (2)] may not enter Namibia unless such persons at the time of entering Namibia present to an authorised person a negative SARSCOV-2 PCR test result from the country of departure, which test result -
(a) is  not  older  than  seven  days  calculated  from  the  date  that  the  sample  for  testing was taken; and
(b) was issued by a laboratory that is certified in the country of issue to issue SARSCOV-2 PCR test results.

The Embassy of the Republic of Namibia in Germany points out in a posting on its facebook page that Namibia's Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS) has issued amended regulations (in Government Notice no. 326 of 23 December 2020) that govern the COVID-19 response measures under the Public Health COVID-19 General Regulations: Public and Environment Health Act, 2015 as published in the Government Gazette 256. According to Regulation 9(1) of the regulations amended, all persons permitted entry into Namibia, should present to an authorised person a negative SARS-CoV-2 PCR test result from the country of departure/origin, issued by a laboratory that is certified to issue SARS-CoV-2 PCR test results in such country.
 
1. The 72-hours and 7-days SARS-CoV-2 PCR test result validity is counted from the date the sample was taken to the date of arrival in Namibia. If the SARS-CoV-2 PCR test result:
a) is not older than 72 hours, the traveller will not be subjected to mandatory quarantine.
b) Is older than 72 hours but not older than seven (7) days, the traveller will be subjected to supervised quarantine at own cost.
c) Despite provision in (a) and (b) above, citizens and Namibian residence or employment permit holders may enter Namibia without a SARS-CoV-2 PCR test result. Travellers without SARS-CoV-2 PCR test results are subjected to mandatory quarantine at designated facilities for seven (7) days at own cost.
d) All persons entering Namibia with a positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR test result post-COVID-19 recovery, must present a de-isolation certificate from the relevant health authority.
2. Namibia does not have SARS-CoV-2 PCR testing requirements for travellers exiting Namibia. Traveller(s) should consult their countries of destination and if so required, test at own cost.

Namibia: New amendments to the Public Health Covid-19 regulations!

Namibia's Minister of Health and Social Services, Dr Kalumbi Shangula, has announced during a Covid-19 briefing on 23 December 2020, that the Government of Namibia has amended the measures to address the second Covid-19 wave. According to the Minister, the following amendments are getting introduced to the Public Health Regulations, which were gazetted and came into force on 16 December 2020. These nrew measures take effect today, the 23 December 2020 at 23:59 until the 13 January 2021 at 24:00.

• Public gatherings
  Public gatherings will be limited to a maximum of fifty (50) persons per event. Organizers or hosts of public gatherings shall keep Registers of attendance, recording names and contact numbers. The organisers must ensure that attendees sanitize their hands, wear masks properly and maintain a distance of not less than 1.5 meters.
• Restriction of movement
  Restriction of movement is imposed between 21:00 and 04:00 for the duration of this period until the 13 January 2021.
• Sale of alcohol
  Sale of alcohol and trading hours operations for on-site consumption (shebeens, bars, nightclubs, gambling houses, casinos and restaurants) is allowed from 09:00-20:00 Mondays to Saturdays. No sale of alcohol is allowed on Sundays and Public Holidays.
• Compulsory correct wearing of face masks
  Wearing of face mask is compulsory for all persons when in public places, including in vehicles, aircraft and other means of public transport. 
• Business premises and operations
  All businesses, including informal markets, are required to ensure that all their patrons or persons present in their premises sanitize their hands with alcohol-based hand sanitisers, alternatively, they wash their hands with soap and water.
  

• Burial of Persons who succumb to COVID 19
  The period within which the human remains of persons whose deaths are attributed to Covid-19 is revised from 72 hours to seven days. This is in keeping with our commitment to ensure that families are able to mourn and give their loved ones dignified burials. Such burials must be conducted in line with strict requirements for effective infection control and prevention in order to reduce the risk of infection.
• Validity period of Covid-19 PCR test results for travel purposes
  It has been a requirement that to be allowed entry into the country, non-Namibian travellers should present a negative COVID 19 test result that is not older than 72 hours. The period of 72 hours is reckoned from the time the sample was taken. This period of validity is now extended to a period of seven days.
• Penalties
  The Public and Environmental Health Act makes provision for stiff penalties in the event of a transgression of its provisions. The maximum penalty under this Act is N$100 000 or 10 years imprisonment. The Minister of Justice will elaborate on this aspect. 

Namibia: New amendments to the Public Health Covid-19 regulations!

Namibia's President Dr. Hage G. Geingob has announced a number of amendments to the Public Health Covid-19 regulations in Namibia during a public briefing on the national COVID-19 response measures on 16 December 2020. The amendments are recommended to implementation with effect from 23:59 on 16 December 2020, for a period of 14 days, until 30 December 2020.

• Bars, nightclubs, casinos and all restaurants are to close for business at 22:00, Monday to Sunday. All indoor dining tables must be arranged two meters apart.
• The number of public gatherings is reduced from the current limit of two hundred to a maximum of fifty persons indoors and a maximum of on hundred outdoors, at a time. It is a requirement that conveners of such gatherings keep registers of attendees at each gathering, record body temperatures of attendees in such registers and provide facilities for guests to wash their hands with soap or to sanitise their hands. Physical distancing of no less than 1.5 meters between persons must be maintained at all times.
• Public passenger transportation: all drivers and passengers have to wear face masks throughout the entire trip/journey
• The Government of Namibia will intensify the enforcement of the correct wearing of facemasks in all public settings.
• The Government of Namibia has directed the Law Enforcement Agencies to deploy personell and ensure compliance with the public health measures in public places.