COVID-19 pandemic in Namibia
| COVID-19 pandemic in Namibia | |
|---|---|
| Disease | COVID-19 |
| Virus strain | SARS-CoV-2 |
| Location | Namibia |
| First outbreak | Wuhan, Hubei, China (suspected) 30°35′14″N 114°17′17″E / 30.58722°N 114.28806°E |
| Index case | Windhoek, Khomas Region |
| Arrival date | 11 March 2020 (6 years and 6 days) |
| Confirmed cases | 172,557 (updated 12 March 2026) |
Deaths | 4,110 (updated 12 March 2026) |
| Government website | |
| Namibian Statistics Agency | |
The COVID-19 pandemic in Namibia is part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Kalumbi Shangula, Minister of Health and Social Services, announced on 14 March 2020 that the virus had reached Namibia. A Romanian couple constituted the two first cases and recovered 79 days after their initial diagnosis.
On 17 March 2020, president Hage Geingob declared a state of emergency which introduced measures such as the closure of all borders, suspension of gatherings and economic related resolutions. Between March and September 2020 Namibia went through lockdowns of varying severity. Beginning 28 March, a full lockdown "stage 1" was prescribed, allowing only essential services. On 5 May the country transitioned into "stage 2", allowing commuting to the work place, restricted use of shops and malls, some inter-regional travel, and transportation of goods across borders. On 2 June "stage 3" was prescribed, with schools and restaurants reopening and the sale of alcohol no longer forbidden. Walvis Bay, where two newly infected people had been in contact with many locals, instead moved back to stage 1. On 30 June "stage 4" was reached, allowing again public gatherings of less than 250 people. However, during this period infections rose dramatically, and stage 3 was again invoked for 28 days on on 13 August 2020.
No infections were reported from 6 April 2020 to 20 May 2020, however there was a notable increase in cases after this period - possibly due to local transmission. A second and higher rise of infections began in July 2020, following relaxed restrictions in several regions. The first death was reported 116 days after the arrival of COVID-19 in Namibia.
As of September 2020, Namibia was within the top 18 number of countries with the most COVID-19 cases reported in Africa. Although Erongo led with the most cases and deaths, Khomas Region started to experience a community outbreak, and numbers rose exponentially to match that of Erongo. In mid-September, most restrictions were lifted after a significant decrease in daily cases.