WINDHOEK, March 18 (Xinhua) -- Namibian President Hage Geingob on Tuesday welcomed Jack Ma Foundation's pledge to supply Africa with 1.1 million COVID-19 testing kits.
This follows a statement on Monday by Jack Ma, founder of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, stating that his foundation would send each of Africa's 54 countries 20,000 testing kits, 100,000 masks and 1,000 protective suits and face shields.
This will enable the continent to carry out more tests, as required by the World Health Organization in managing the virus, said Geingob at a news briefing.
"The development is greatly welcomed. Of course, when the kits come into the country ... we will establish the best way of using them in response to the outbreak. We have to manage this pandemic," said Geingob.
Namibia currently has two confirmed cases of COVID-19.
Finance Minister Calle Schlettwein on Tuesday said the pandemic is distorting the country's supply chains.
"The impacts of this pandemic are multiple, but the most important ones are a reduction in trade of goods and services and this is caused by supply chains that have been broken," Schlettwein said while briefing the president on the effects of the coronavirus on Namibia's economy.
He said the pandemic is also weakening the export market, as demands for the country's main exports such as minerals are also slowing.
Although the pandemic is negatively affecting economies globally, Schlettwein said small economies like Namibia's are more easily affected compared to larger ones.
Schlettwein added that the country's tourism sector, which contributes significantly to its GDP, has also been hit by the coronavirus.
