Confirmed COVID-19 Cases
# INFECTED: 32
# ACTIVE: 15
# DECEASED: 0
# RECOVERED: 17
# TESTED: 5,682

Namibia is “safe & clean”. This is the core message that the Namibia Tourism Board (NTB) wants to convey to Namibia fans around the world. To this end, the NTB today published an extensive catalog of measures against the spread of the corona virus in travel. It had been put together in the past few weeks in cooperation with the umbrella organisation FENATA and its members.

The measures are based on those of other travel countries and are tailored to the conditions in Namibia. The catalog serves as checklist not only for accommodation establishments, but also for tour operators, car rental companies and providers of activities. Accommodations that have been open to Namibian guests since the beginning of May have already developed an “anti-corona” routine in daily practice.

Travel warnings and quarantine

Namibia’s travel industry is disappointed that Germany has extended its general travel warning for countries outside the European Union until August 31. Germany is still the most important market in Europe for Namibia. However, the decision of the German government also provides for case-by-case reviews.

The criteria include to what extent a country controls the spread of the corona virus, how efficient its health system is and what hygiene rules are in place to protect travellers and staff. There must also be reliable options of outward and return travel. If the criteria are met, the travel warning for a non-European country can be replaced by a travel advice before August 31 (source: news programme Tagesschau of the German public TV station ARD).

Many Namibian travel companies are hoping for a bilateral agreement. This would include that the Namibian government will drop the 14-day quarantine for immigrants that is on the list of measures for stage 4 of the relaxing of restrictions from June 30.

Second local infection

In Walvis Bay, a 31-year-old female prison guard (case 32) has tested positive. As Minister of Health and Social Services, Kalumbi Shangula, announced on Saturday, this is the second case with no contact with a known infected person. The woman has temporarily lost her sense of taste and has flu-like symptoms.