Status quo remains at borders
NOORDOEWER – Daily access is still only limited to essential service providers arriving and departing through the Ariamsvlei and Noordoewer border posts despite the Covid-19 state of emergency being lifted across the country recently by President Hage Geingob.
Earlier this month, Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Netumbo NandiNdaitwah said opening all activities at the borders will be done bilaterally.
This she said is because it does not help one country to open its borders while the neighbours’ borders are closed.
“When visitors, especially from South African arrive at Namibian borders, they are screened, tested and subjected to a seven-day mandatory quarantine period,” said Dr Baku Motinga, a medical practitioner stationed at the Port Health Facility in Noordoewer.
“In cases where they test positive, such clients will be transported or escorted to the nearest isolation centre.”
Motinga also said in cases where travellers go into self-quarantine, health workers, including surveillance officers, will inspect such facilities in order to ensure it complies to health regulations in place and further do daily rounds to verify if such persons are indeed under quarantine.
He said health workers are tested once a month for Covid-19 due to the high risk associated with their work.
“We are, however, fortunate to have adequate staff members who are all accommodated in Noordoewer,’’ said Motinga.
He also said there are three doctors working in shifts at the health facility to guard against exhaustion.
Motinga also added they are receiving excellent cooperation from truck drivers frequenting the border and also commended the AngloAmerican Namibia Foundation for assisting government in its efforts to fight the pandemic by means of providing state-of-the-art facilities at the two border posts.