Namdeb, a joint venture between the Namibian government and De Beers, has unveiled a new testing facility for COVID-19 around its operations in Oranjemund, Namibia.
“Whilst this facility is very important to ensure we manage the COVID-19 risk in our business, we are also honoured to be able to assist our community and the country at large in alleviating some of the pressure to conduct testing,” said Namdeb chief executive Riaan Burger.
“This laboratory will play a vital role in the diagnostic testing process of COVID-19.”
Namdeb decided to establish its own fully-fledged testing facility given the limited testing capacity within Namibia and a recent surge in COVID-19 cases.
This, it said, supports wider efforts that Namdeb had been working on alongside the government of Namibia, through the development of isolation units and the provision of essential medical equipment such as ventilators, new beds and testing equipment.
Namibia has so far recorded 1,247 positive cases and three deaths.
Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished
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