Namibia imposes curfew to curb spread of COVID-19

JOHANNESBURG

Namibia imposed a nationwide curfew Wednesday as it battled a second wave of the coronavirus pandemic.

Movements are restricted from 9 p.m. (1900 GMT) to 4 p.m. (1400 GMT) in a bid to curb the spread of the virus.

Health Minister Kalumbi Shangula said in an address to the nation that the government was tightening COVID-19 regulations as cases continued to surge.

Shangula said the country recorded a total of 1,615 new cases from Dec. 9-15 compared to 2,716 new cases between Dec.16-22.

He said public gatherings will now be limited to only 50 people per event and organizers should record the names and contact information of those who attend.

He further announced that the sale of alcohol is prohibited after 8 p.m. (1800 GMT), while it is not allowed on Sundays and public holidays.

Shangula said there are concerns as the number of cases has risen by nearly 68% from Dec. 16.

Namibia has at least 19,629 COVID-19 cases, 181 deaths and 16,317 recoveries.