WINDHOEK, April 13 (Xinhua) -- Namibia health authorities are currently working closely with the University of Namibia (UNAM) for genomic surveillance and testing of samples from school clusters, following the detection of new COVID-19 variants in Botswana, an official said Wednesday in Windhoek, capital of Namibia.
Namibian Minister of Health and Social Services Kalumbi Shangula in the country's 42nd COVID-19 public update statement said 37 samples have been submitted for genomic sequencing to test for the variants.
"On April 11, 2022, Botswana announced the presence of a new sublineage of Omicron variant in four individuals, which has been designated as Omicron BA.4 and BA.5. This sub-lineage of Omicron has been detected previously in South Africa, Denmark, Scotland and England from Jan. 10, 2022," he explained.
According to Shangula, the variants are still being studied in terms of disease spread and virulence.
While addressing the nation, Namibian President Hage Geingob urged the people of the country to get vaccinated ahead of winter.
"The invisible enemy of COVID-19 is still among us. Ahead of winter, extra vigilance is required and vaccination is the only defense against COVID-19," he stressed.
According to President Geingob, all of Namibia's public health measures will remain unchanged and are extended to May 15, 2022. ■