WINDHOEK, Dec. 6 (Xinhua) -- Namibia has detected 18 cases of Omicron variant and will continue to strengthen surveillance and response to the COVID-19 pandemic, authorities said on Monday.
President Hage Geingob told a briefing on COVID-19 that the country will prioritize contact tracing and other measures to prevent further transmission of the Omicron variant.
"It is not time to panic," Geingob said, but warned that stricter measures will be imposed ahead of the festive season if there is no change in behavior among the people.
Minister of Health and Social Services Kalumbi Shangula urged more people to get vaccinated.
"We need to achieve herd immunity to reduce the risk of circulating variants of concerns, reduce the cases of severe illness, hospitalization and deaths due to COVID19," he said. "The threat posed by the Omicron variant circulating in our country is real."
He said Namibia recorded 695 new COVID-19 infections on Dec. 1-5, urging people to "remain calm, but vigilant to this invisible enemy."
"We have to continue working hand-in-hand with stakeholders to deploy the latest technologies to detect new variants in a timely fashion. We must remain on guard, while we wait for further investigation about this variant," Shangula said.
On Sunday, the minister said that based on the evolving health situation, Namibia may announce new measures against COVID-19. Enditem