Photo by Adam Nieścioruk on Unsplash
Overview of reported data for July-August 2020, and earlier.
On 13 March 2020, Namibia had recorded its first two (2) COVID-19 cases. On 25 May, Namibia had crossed the 100 infections mark. It had taken the country 73 days from recording its first cases to recording its 100th case.
Over the next few months, up to the beginning of July 2020, Namibia’s COVID-19 cases had increased gradually.
On 1 July 2020, Namibia had …
- 285 confirmed cases, of which 261 were active cases.
- 80 new cases were reported that day
- By that date 24 people had recovered
- 9,563 tests had been carried out
- There no deaths recorded by that date
- 879 people were in quarantine then
Also on 1 July, just as the country’s COVID-19 infections were set to start rising sharply, Namibian health minister Dr Kalumbi Shangula announced that a testing backlog was being experienced by the Namibia Institute of Pathology (NIP).
On 10 July the first death was announced, of a man who had died on 8 July, and on 11 July the second death occurred, but was only officially announced on 14 July after the body was tested posthumously. Namibia had gone 117 days, nearly four months, between recording the first cases of COVID-19 and the first death from the disease.
By 15 July 2020, Namibia was still below 1,000 confirmed cases, with the numbers then standing at …
- 960 confirmed cases, of which 927 were active
- A then record of 96 new cases were reported that day
- Recoveries stood at 31
- 16,305 tests had been carried out by then
- Deaths stood at two (2)
- 670 people were in quarantine
The next day, on 16 July, and 52 days after recording its 100th case, Namibia crossed the 1,000 confirmed cases mark, when 72 new cases were announced, bringing the cumulative confirmed cases to 1,032. The active cases also approached 1,000, coming to 999 active cases that day. It had taken the country 125 days, just over four months, from its first confirmed case to its 1,000th case.
Fourteen (14) days later, on 30 July, Namibia crossed the 2,000 confirmed infections mark, recording 66 positive cases that day to bring the country total to 2,052 confirmed cases.
On 31 July 2020, Namibia had …
- 2,129 cumulative confirmed cases, of which 1,953 were active
- Recoveries stood at 166
- 26,261 tests had been carried out by then
- Deaths stood at 10
- 1,618 people were in quarantine
In the space of the 31 days of July 2020, Namibia had added 1,924 COVID-19 cases.
Through July 2020, Walvis Bay in the Erongo Region was the epicentre of the COVID-19 outbreak in Namibia, but through August 2020, this epicentre would start shifting to Windhoek in the Khomas Region. During August 2020, infections would also spread countrywide, with cases announced in all major urban centres.
On 1 August 2020, Namibia had …
- 2,224 cumulative confirmed cases, of which 2,042 were active
- Recoveries stood at 171
- 26,344 tests had been carried out by then
- Deaths stood at 11
- 1,662 people were in quarantine
On 10 August 2020, Namibia recorded its 3,000th case, when 152 new cases were announced, bringing the total number to 3,101 confirmed cases. It had taken just 11 days for the country to move from 2,000 to 3,000 cases.
On 16 August, just six (6) days later, Namibia crossed the 4,000 confirmed cases mark, when 247 new cases were announced, bringing the total to 4,154 confirmed cases on that day.
On 19 August, health minister Dr Kalumbi Shangula announced that Windhoek was the new epicentre of the COVID-19 outbreak in Namibia.
On 21 August, five (5) days after crossing the 4,000 cases mark, Namibia crossed the 5,000 cases mark, when a then record 315 new cases were announced, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 5,227.
On 23 August, Namibia recorded a record 316 new confirmed cases.
And on 24 August, just three (3) days after recording 5,000 cases, Namibia crossed the 6,000 confirmed cases mark when 176 new cases were announced, bringing the total to 6,030 confirmed cases.
Another five (5) days later, on 29 August, Namibia crossed the 7,000 cases mark when 210 new cases were announced, bringing the total to 7,116 confirmed cases.
On 31 August 2020, Namibia had …
- 7,550 cumulative confirmed cases, of which 4,148 were active
- Recoveries stood at 3,327
- 61,410 tests had been carried out by then
- Deaths stood at 75
- 1,725 people were in quarantine
In August 2020, Namibia had recorded 5,421 confirmed cases, and for the two-month period (62 days) of July-August 2020, Namibia had recorded 7,345 cases and 75 deaths.
As from the beginning of September 2020, Namibia Fact Check will do weekly and monthly updates of the data as released by the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS). So be on the lookout for our roundups!
UPDATED on 4 September 2020: Removed graphic titled ‘Exponential growth’ and replaced it with one titled ‘Dramatic growth’.