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namib times
SERVING THE COASTAL COMMUNITY SINCE 1958 NO 6918 FRIDAY 18 JUNE 2021 Tel: +264 64 - 205854 / +264 64 - 461866 /Fax: +264 64 - 204813 / 064 - 461824 / Website: www.namibtimes.net
“War room” established for Swakop mourns Covid-stricken Swakopmund death of inside
Sharlien Tjambari
The Constituency Councillor of the Swakopmund Constituency of the Erongo Regional Council, Cllr Ciske Smith-Howard, is setting up a Covid-19 war room in the holiday town, to coordinate a renewed assault on the pandemic. An integral part of her strategy was to call upon all registered nurses, doctors, pharmacists and even retired health care professionals to come forward as volunteers. Cllr Smith-Howard's appeal has been greeted with overwhelming response. So far fifteen health care professionals have agreed to assist. Cllr Howard-Smith appealed to those who want to join the fight to make only a small fraction of their time available to assist. Swakopmund has experienced soaring Covid-19 infections in recent days. The town's health care system is under severe strain. Not only at the state hospital and clinics, but also staff in the Ministry of Health and Social Services that needs to keep general services going. Swakopmund residents are feeling the effects of this strain on the health care system. They are frustrated by long long queues at the various health points in the holiday town. They have to fall into long queues at the Covid-19 testing point, and have to bear long queues at the Covid-19 vaccination point. Not only is this uncomfortable, especially for those who are not feeling well or who have to take time from their schedules to get vaccinated. People also feel it is in these queues where you are highly exposed to infection of the Coronavirus. In messages send via social media, Cllr SmithHoward said: “At the moment we are facing a massive pandemic in this country. People are dying every day, it's not like anything that we've experienced before. It really is a problem”. “Our hospitals are overflowing. We simply cannot do this alone. Everybody is expecting the vaccine to be rolled out quickly, and we do not have enough hands to make this happen. Please get in touch with me if you willing to volunteer as a nurse or doctor”. With regard to the Covid war room, great effort will be made to maintain the vaccine roll-out, and to get people to vaccinate. Those who will be assisting at the war room will also work closely with the relevant authorities to ensure the appropriate responses to the pandemic is maintained.
In her capacity as the Chairperson of the Erongo Regional Council, Smith-Howard will also roll out the Covid-19 response to all settlements in the Region which does not have a formal local authority. Continues on page 2
Cllr Smith-Howard
Amended Covid-19 its Fire rules now in effect Chief Residents in the Erongo Region are cautioned that the revised Covid-19 rules will be strictly enforced. The Namibian Police yesterday urged people to continue to comply with Covid safety rules which include wearing a face mask in public places, and in doing so wear masks correctly by covering both the nose and mouth. Many people are observed only covering their mouths with the mask, and this practise should be discouraged. Other interventions include washing of hands, maintaining social distancing and avoid crowded places. The Covid-19 Regulations were also amended and came into force at one minute past midnight on Thursday (17 June 2021). The revised rules are: *Gatherings are restricted to ten people only, and may not go beyond two hours. *Public transport operators may only carry half Continues on page 2
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Pothole is now a grave traffic danger - please act!
Swakopmund magistrate’s court burgled twice within a week The magistrate's court in Swakopmund has been burgled for the second time this month. The latest break-in occurred during the night hours of Sunday/Monday, barely a week after a burglary during the night of Tuesday/Wednesday 7/8 June. Two cases of burglary are investigated by the Swakopmund Police. In both incidents the administrator's office was targeted. In the first burglary a laptop, a hard drive, and cash were stolen. In the latest incident a drilling machine, an angle grinder, a usb-memory stick, a charger, a computer mouse and laptops were stolen. Police suspect an insider might have collaborated with the burglars. It is also not believed the burglars were targeting criminal investigation dockets, as it is kept in a secure facility in the complex of which the location is not divulged to the public. On the pictures on page 2: the state in which the burglars left the office during the break-in. A charge of malicious damage to property will also be added, should the culprit or culprits be apprehended.
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