Namibia: Revised tourist-related Covid-19 regulations!

Namibia's President Dr. Hage G. Geingob has announced a number of changes to the status quo of the tourist-related COVID-19 regulations in the country during a public briefing on the national COVID-19 response measures on 30 November 2020. The current dispensation of measures to fight the pandemic which came into force on 17 October 2020, will expire at midnight on 30 November 2020. From 01 December 2020 t0 25 January 2021 the following measures will apply.

People arriving in Namibia:

Requirements for COVID-10 test results:

• All non-Namibian travellers arriving in Namibia are required to present a negative COVID-19 PCR test result from the country of departure, which is not older than 72 hours.
• This requirement does not apply to children under the age of five years.
• Non-Namibian travellers arriving with a negative result, which is older than 72 hours, will be placed in quarantine and tested for COVID-19 on the same day, at own cost. If results come out negative, they will be released from quarantine. If positive, they will be isolated at own cost, according to Namibian isolation protocols.
• Returning Namibian citizens or holders of Namibian permanent residence or employment permits may enter the country without a COVID-19 PCR test result or with a positive result. But in cases of arrival without a COVID-19 test result, s/he will be swabbed immediately upon arrival while observing quarantine and if the result comes out negative, they will be released from quarantine.
• A Namibian who arrives with a positive COVID-19 PCR test result, will be isolated at a designated isolation facility or home isolation, subject to approval after assessment by an authorized medical officer.

Public gatherings:

• Public gatherings will remain at 200 people. Members of the public are strongly encouraged to arrange and host all public gatherings outdoors. Registers of attendees at such gatherings and events must be maintained.

Liquor sale restriction:

• Sale of alcohol by shebeens, bars and nightclubs shall be extended to midnight.
• The business must:
• ensure physical distancing
• all business premises must be equipped with functional hand-sanitizer dispensers, at all times.

Keeping COVID-19 registers:

• Shopping outletts and businesses will no longer be required to keep registers of persons visiting their premises. Registers should, however, be maintained at public events such as weddings, funerals, religious gatherings, sports and entertainment events.

Namibia: New revised tourist-related Covid-19 regulations! [update]

update (23 October 2020): Namibia's Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS) has released a press release titled "Changes in the Approval of Travelers and Quarantine Request for Travelers". 

Namibia's President Dr. Hage G. Geingob has announced a number of changes to the status quo of the tourist-related COVID-19 regulations in the country during a public briefing on the national COVID-19 response measures on 21 October 2020. The new regulations will come into force from tomorrow (22 October 2020) until midnight on 30 November 2020. The new measures will apply for all 14 regions of Namibia.

• All travellers (including tourists, business travellers and all Namibians and Permit Holders) who arrive in Namibia with a negative PCR test result, that is not older than 72 hours, will be permitted to proceed to their final destinations in the country. The regquirement for the mandatory five day retest has been withdrawn.
• All travellers who arrive in Namibia with a negative PCR test result that is older than 72 hours but not older than 7 days, will be permitted to enter the country. However, they will be required to undergo seven-days supervised quarantine at home or tourism facility. In the event that these environments do not fulfill qurantine requirements, the travellers will be placed under mandatory Government quarantine facilities at own cost.
• Non-Namibians, who do not present a negative COVID-19 PCR test result, will not be granted entry into Namibia.
• Returning Namibian citizens or Permit Holders may enter Namibia with or without a COVID-19 PCR test result. In the event such persons present a positive test result or no result at all, they will be subjected to mandatory quarantine and testing or isolation, after arrival. This provision shall also apply to aircraft and marine vessel crew members; humanitarian aid workers, essential service providers, as well as operators and drivers of cross-border transport vehicles who arrive in the country without the requisite test.
• Restrictions on passenger numbers in publc transport, private vehicles and group tour operators are herewith lifted. This means, vehicle occupancy can revert to the respective carrying capacities of a particular vehicle. However, drivers, passengers and operators are required to continue taking the necessary precautions.
• In line with the "Saving lives, economies and livelihood" campaign of the African Union (AU), Namibia will continue to harmonize the re-opening of borders and resumption of full economic and social activities. To this end, Namibia will gradually re-open borders on reciprocal basis and resume social activities including contact sports activities; face-to-face instruction for tertiary institutions and schools where social distancing is feasible.
• The limitation to the number of persons permitted at public gatherings shall be increased to a maximum of 200 persons until 30 November 2020.
• The protocols for COVID-19 burials will be conducted as per previous regulations.

Namibia: Summarised entry & quarantine requirements for tourists! [update]

update (14 October 2020): According to a public notice by Namibia's Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security the following ports of entry are open with immediate effect for entry to and departure from Namibia.

• Katima Mulilo Border Post (Namibia <> Zambia)
• Ariamsvlei Border Post (Namibia <> South Africa)
• Noordoewer Border Post (Namibia <> South Africa)
• Walvis Bay Harbour

The Embassy of the Republic of Namibia in Germany has published the summarised entry & quarantine requirements for Namibia currently in place (as of 13 October 2020; subject to change) on Facebook. According to the information provided, international tourists are only allowed to enter Namibia through Hosea Kutako International Airport (WDH) in Windhoek and Walvis Bay International Airport (WVB) in Walvis Bay. Tourists are not allowed to use public transport and need to procure a local SIM card when arriving at the airports. Upon entry, tourists need to provide the completed health questionaire and proof of booking of NTB*-registered destinations approved by the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS) for the first 5 days and proceed to pre-booked destinations. 

Tourists also need to

• present himself/herself to an authorised person for SARS-COV-2 PCR testing at own cost on the 5th day after arrival at a place indicated by an authorised person on arrival.
• contact of 7th day the authorised testing facility and enquire about the test result. If the test result is positiv, tourists have to submit into mandatory supervised isolation at own cost.

 

*NTB = Namibia Tourism Board