A few remedies the government should pursue.
No country is spared from the worldwide Corona covid-19 virus outbreak. The incredible infectious disease spreads like wildfire and leaves in its wake thousands dead and economies on its knees. Never has it been this important to have strong political leadership. On the surface it looks like Namibia is relatively unaffected, with only two reported cases and three suspected cases. But is it, and is it sensible shutting down most of the economy for such a minor outbreak?
Luckily, we have many countries to learn from. The low number of reported cases is probably due to the lack of testing (it doesn’t help that the biggest health insurance companies said that they will only cover the cost for tests that come back positive). South Korea tested 10 000 citizens for every 1 million to gain a detailed understanding of how far the virus had spread and which areas were more affected. In comparison, the USA thought that they were mostly unaffected bar a few outbreaks in Washington state. But since they started properly testing a week ago, their numbers have suddenly risen to more than 120 000, increasing hourly. Namibia needs a massive test roll-out. People who show any symptoms should be visited by mobile test units, not to clog up the already strained hospitals. Just as you can’t fight an enemy if you can’t locate them, is it impossible to target a containment if you don’t know how widespread the disease is.
The second major challenge is how to support an already fragile economy. What to do. Firstly, all Namibians who have contracted the virus should automatically qualify for a N$10 000 payment. It might not be much for some, but for most Namibians it will go a long way to support them during the 2 weeks of isolation. Secondly, businesses should be encouraged to keep all their workers on their payroll during an eventual shut-down. To help, the government could offer to pay for 50% of the wages and salaries of all employees who work for a company with a turnover of less than N$10 million, 30% for companies with turnovers of between N$10 and N$20 million and 10% for the rest. To prevent the start of another Gravy Train, the government should use last years Tax returns. Businesses that honestly contribute to the fiscus should also be first in line to receive a handout.
Thirdly, the government should seriously consider a shutdown. Namibia has more to lose than most other countries when it comes to tourism. The tourist sector not only employs vast amount of people but is also a relatively big sector of the economy. But tourist simply won’t come back if they perceive Namibia not to be clear of the Corona Covid-19 Virus. It is the perception that counts. just as the tourists stayed away from Tunisia after the terrorist attack, would they stay away from Namibia if it is not perceived to be on top of the outbreak. Just as the tourists stayed away from Tunisia after the terrorist attack, they would stay away from Namibia if it is not perceived to be on top of the outbreak.
Decisive action by the government now shows the seriousness that they treat the problem and gives credibility. And credibility is what’s needed.