First Covid-19 case registered at local mine
1344 cases nationwide
21 July 2020 | Business
Angula Kalili, Swakop Uranium, “It is very unlikely that the mine will be shut due to a single confirmed case.”
Swakop Uranium recorded its first positive Covid-19 case, chief operations officer (COO) of the mine Angula Kalili confirmed.
According to Kalili, the employee who tested positive for the virus on Monday, was feeling fine when he worked his last shift last week.
“On Saturday morning he was not feeling well and decided to go to his doctor. The doctor sent him for a Covid-19 test as part of his assessment and also booked him off pending his results. He was told to quarantine at home, which he did, while waiting for his results. Contact tracing is ongoing and all high risk employees will be sent for testing.”
Kalili said on Friday that in the event a Covid-19 case being confirmed at the mine, the extent of exposure will determine the response.
“It is very unlikely that the mine will be shut due to a single confirmed case. Employees work in different areas and on different shifts, which will prevent the entire mine, from being exposed to a single confirmed case.”
The mine also requested a few employees to self-isolate.
“We have had a few cases where the ministry of health and social services has contacted employees who were identified through their contact tracing processes, to self-isolate,” said Kalili
Walvis Bay Municipal offices
Offices of the municipality of Walvis Bay will be closed for two days after an employee tested positive for Covid-19.
The municipality announced this on Monday, saying it will be closed for business on 21 and 22 July to disinfect the building. “The employee in question had last visited the building on 16 July and received his results on 20 July 2020.
All satellite offices continue to operate as normal and are not affected by this arrangement.
Bank Windhoek Walvis Bay
Bank Windhoek confirmed that a staff member of its Walvis Bay branch tested positive for Covid-19.
The bank closed its door for business on Thursday, 16 July 2020, due to a case of suspected contact of a staff member with someone who tested positive for Covid-19.
The bank said that the Walvis Bay branch will be closed immediately, thoroughly disinfected and will reopen on Monday, 27 July 2020 as a precautionary measure.
“Since the lockdown in March, a protocol was implemented where branch staff were divided into two shifts. The branch continued to serve customers who had to visit our premises to conduct their transactions,” explained Chris Matthee, Bank Windhoek’s executive officer of retail banking services.
Matthee said that the two groups have been kept separate at all times.
“The group that our staff member belongs to is now self-quarantined and will also be tested. We are providing all possible support to them. Despite the fact that the second group could be deployed at the Walvis Bay branch, the decision was taken to close the branch in the interests of staff and customer health and safety.”
He advised customers who need to visit a branch in Walvis Bay to conduct business at the Dunes Mall agency.