People cook meat on fire during the Kapana Cook-Off competition in Namibia's capital Windhoek, Sept. 18, 2021. (Photo by Musa C Kaseke/Xinhua)
Wearing masks in public places will no longer be mandatory in Namibia as the number of COVID-19 positive cases is declining.
WINDHOEK, March 15 (Xinhua) -- Wearing of masks in public places will no longer be mandatory in Namibia, President Hage Geingob said during the 41st COVID-19 briefing on the national response measures Tuesday.
"Wearing of masks in public places is no longer mandatory. However, people who are in close settings, such as public transport, indoor public meetings are encouraged to wear masks. The physical distance of no less than 1 meter must be maintained between persons at all times."
Geingob also increased the size of public gathering from 500 to 1000, while fully vaccinated travelers will no longer be required to produce a negative PCR test result upon arrival at Namibian points of entry, but are instead required to present an authentic, valid vaccination card at Point of Entry, said Geingob.
Vendors are seen on the street in Windhoek, Namibia, July 31, 2021. (Photo by Musa C Kaseke/Xinhua)
Namibia's recovery rate from COVID-19 now stands at 97 percent, with a case fatality rate of 2.5 percent, while statistics indicated that the active cases stood at 222 on Monday.
The current regulations are due to expire on Wednesday and new regulations will come into force from midnight for a period of 30 days until April 15. ■
