WINDHOEK, Jan. 6 (Xinhua) -- The emergence of new COVID-19 variants and the higher speed of transmission in some countries is very worrying, Namibia's Health Minister, Kalumbi Shangula said Wednesday.
Shangula said this during a daily COVID-19 update, as the country recorded 432 new COVID-19 cases and 13 deaths in 24 hours, bringing the cumulative confirmed cases to 26,319, while deaths stood at 235.
"Our neighbor South Africa recently detected a new SARS-CoV-2 variant, which appears to transmit more easily and is likely linked to the ongoing surge of COVID-19 infections in that country," he said.
Shangula said as Namibia currently has no data about these new variants, the country's Health Ministry is conducting whole genomic sequencing analysis to identify the COVID-19 variants.
"Therefore, public health measures such as the correct wearing of face covers, handwashing and sanitization, social and physical distancing, refraining from public gatherings and non-essential trips remain key to limiting transmission," he added.
Meanwhile, according to the Health Ministry, the country's recovery rate is 84 percent as the total number of recoveries stand at 22,200. Enditem