This is the version of this Government Notice as it was from 15 January 2022 to 14 February 2022. Read the latest available version.
Related documents
Public and Environmental Health Act, 2015
Public Health COVID-19 General Regulations
Government Notice 91 of 2021
- Published in Government Gazette 7522 on 30 April 2021
- Assented to on 30 April 2021
- Commenced on 1 May 2021
- [This is the version of this document as it was from 15 January 2022 to 14 February 2022.]
- [Amended by Public Health COVID-19 General Regulations: Amendment (Government Notice 108 of 2021) on 31 May 2021]
- [Amended by Public Health COVID-19 General Regulations: Amendment (Government Notice 128 of 2021) on 16 June 2021]
- [Amended by Public Health COVID-19 General Regulations: Amendment (Government Notice 138 of 2021) on 30 June 2021]
- [Amended by Public Health COVID-19 General Regulations: Amendment (Government Notice 144 of 2021) on 9 July 2021]
- [Amended by Public Health COVID-19 General Regulations: Amendment (Government Notice 151 of 2021) on 15 July 2021]
- [Amended by Public Health COVID-19 General Regulations: Amendment (Government Notice 160 of 2021) on 31 July 2021]
- [Amended by Public Health COVID-19 General Regulations: Amendment (Government Notice 175 of 2021) on 15 August 2021]
- [Amended by Public Health COVID-19 General Regulations: Amendment (Government Notice 189 of 2021) on 6 September 2021]
- [Amended by Public Health COVID-19 General Regulations: Amendment (Government Notice 205 of 2021) on 15 September 2021]
- [Amended by Public Health COVID-19 General Regulations: Amendment (Government Notice 232 of 2021) on 15 October 2021]
- [Amended by Public Health COVID-19 General Regulations: Amendment (Government Notice 246 of 2021) on 5 November 2021]
- [Amended by Public Health COVID-19 General Regulations: Amendment (Government Notice 249 of 2021) on 15 November 2021]
- [Amended by Public Health COVID-19 General Regulations: Amendment (Government Notice 281 of 2021) on 15 December 2021]
- [Amended by Public Health COVID-19 General Regulations: Amendment (Government Notice 7 of 2022) on 15 January 2022]
Part 1 – PRELIMINARY MATTERS
1. Definitions
In these regulations a word or expression to which a meaning has been given in the Act bears that meaning and, unless the context otherwise indicates-“authorised person”, for purposes of these regulations, means a staff member of the Ministry or other person who has been authorised in writing by the Minister to perform functions and duties in terms of, and to exercise powers under, these regulations;“confirmed case”, in relation to COVID-19, means a clinical case where there is laboratory confirmation that a person has tested positive for COVID-19, irrespective of the existence of clinical signs and symptoms;“contact tracing” means the identification and follow up of any person who may have come into contact with a COVID-19 confirmed case;“correctional officer” means a correctional officer defined in section 1 of the Correctional Service Act, 2012 (Act No. 9 of 2012);“COVID-19” means the coronavirus disease of 2019 which is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2);“COVID-19 response centre” means any place, premises, establishment or facility designated as such under regulation 11;“COVID-19 vaccine” means a vaccine-(a)intended to provide acquired immunity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus causing COVID19; and[The term “COVID-19” is missing a hyphen in the Government Gazette, as reproduced above.](b)authorised for use, or registered for use on humans by the Namibia Medicines Regulatory Council in terms of the Medicines and Related Substances Control Act, 2003 (Act No. 13 of 2003);“critical services” means the services listed as critical services in Annexure A;[definition of “critical services” inserted by GN 128/2021]“designated quarantine facility” means a quarantine facility designated as such under regulation 14;“directives” means directives issued under section 29(1) of the Act;“essential goods” means the goods listed as essential goods in Annexure B;[definition of “essential goods” inserted by GN 128/2021]“head of the institution” means the administrative head of a public institution and the chief executive officer or the equivalent of a chief executive officer of a private institution;“health care worker” means–(a)a health practitioner; or(b)any other person providing or ensuring the provision of services at a hospital, health facility or point of health service delivery for infection prevention and control, including managers, professionals, administrative and support staff of the hospital, health facility or point of health service delivery;“health facility” means a health facility as defined in section 1 of the Hospitals and Health Facilities Act, 1994 (Act No. 36 of 1994);“higher education institution” means an institution that provides learning programmes leading to qualifications higher than grade 12 or its equivalent;“hospital” means a hospital as defined in section 1 of the Hospitals and Health Facilities Act, 1994 (Act No. 36 of 1994);“isolation”, in relation to COVID-19, means segregation or separation from and interdiction of communication with others, of persons who are ill or are suspected of being infected with COVID-19;“isolation facility” means a hospital or health facility designated as such under regulation 14, and a portion of such hospital or health facility and any permanent or temporary structures set apart and used solely for the admission and accommodation of persons who are confirmed cases of COVID-19;“Immigration Control Act” means the Immigration Control Act, 1993 (Act No. 7 of 1993);“Liquor Act” means the Liquor Act, 1998 (Act No. 6 of 1998);“mandatory supervised quarantine” means a person potentially exposed to COVID-19 infection staying at a designated quarantine facility under supervision of the Ministry away from other persons after exposure or potential exposure to COVID-19;“mask” means a covering made of any suitable material that is worn on and around a person’s nose and mouth so as to fully cover that person’s nose and mouth for purposes of preventing the transmission of COVID-19;“police officer” means–(a)a member of the Namibian Police as defined in section 1 of the Police Act, 1990 (Act No. 19 of 1990); and(b)a member of the municipal police service referred to in section 43C of the Police Act, 1990 (Act No. 19 of 1990), in respect of the relevant local authority area for which he or she is appointed;“quarantine” means separating persons potentially exposed to COVID-19 from non-exposed persons in such a manner as to prevent the possible spread of an infection or contamination;“quarantine facilities” means any place, premises, establishment or facility set apart and used solely for the administration and accommodation of separating persons potentially exposed to COVID-19 from non-exposed persons in such a manner as to prevent the possible spread of an infection or contamination;“regional council” means a regional council referred to in section 1 of the Regional Councils Act, 1992 (Act No. 22 of 1992);“restricted areas” ...[definition of “restricted areas” inserted by GN 128/2021 and deleted by GN 138/2021]“school” means a school as defined in section 1 of the Education Act, 2001 (Act No. 16 of 2001);“social distancing” means any number of measures taken to increase the physical space between persons to slow the spread of COVID-19, by among others maintaining a distance of not less than one metre between persons;“specified period” ...[definition of “specified period” inserted by GN 128/2021 and deleted by GN 175/2021]“the Act” means the Public and Environmental Health Act, 2015 (Act No. 1 of 2015); and“tourism” means tourism as defined in section 1 of the Namibia Tourism Board Act, 2000 (Act No. 21 of 2000);“zone” ...[definition of "zone" inserted by GN 138/2021 and deleted by GN 160/2021]2. Application of regulations
2A. ***
[regulation 2A substituted by GN 108/2021, by GN 128/2021, by GN 138/2021, by GN 151/2021 by GN 160/2021 and deleted by GN 175/2021]2B. ***
[regulation 2B inserted by GN 128/2021 and repealed by GN 138/2021]Part 2 – COVID-19 RESTRICTIVE MEASURES
3. Wearing of masks
4. Gatherings
5. ***
[regulation 5 repealed by GN 232/2021]5A. ***
[regulation 5A inserted by GN 128/2021, substituted by GN 138/2021, amended by GN 144/2021 and deleted by GN 160/2021]6. Measures relating to education
7. ***
[regulation 7 amended by GN 128/2021, by GN 138/2021, by GN 144/2021, by GN 160/2021, by GN 175/2021, by GN 189/2021, by GN 205/2021 and by GN 246/2021 and repealed by GN 249/2021]8. Resumption of businesses, operations and activities
9. Additional provisions relating to workplace
10. Restrictions relating to sporting events
11. Restrictions relating to entry into Namibia
12. Quarantine and COVID-19 testing
13. Public transportation
Part 3 – PROVISIONS ON HEALTH MATTERS
14. Designation of COVID-19 response centres, quarantine facilities and isolation facilities
15. Continuity of health services during COVID-19 pandemic
16. Testing for COVID-19
17. Contact tracing for COVID-19
18. Reporting requirements for COVID-19
Every health care worker must immediately—19. COVID-19 related deaths and burials
20. COVID-19 awareness messages and campaigns
The chief health officer must intensify, or ensure the intensification of, public awareness messages and campaigns on COVID-19 using all appropriate media avenues and platforms to reach the public in all the regions of Namibia.21. Quarantine facilities
22. Persons to be quarantined
23. Provisions relating to quarantine facilities
24. Isolation facilities
25. Persons to be isolated
26. Persons without shelter and vulnerable persons
27. Requirements for homes for the aged
28. Requirements for rehabilitation centres
29. Requirements for mental health institutions
30. Members of diplomatic missions and consular posts
Part 4 – COVID-19 VACCINES
31. COVID-19 vaccines
Part 5 – GENERAL PROVISIONS
32. Offences and penalties
33. Regulations to bind State
These regulations bind the State.History of this document
16 July 2022
15 July 2022
15 June 2022
13 May 2022
14 April 2022
15 March 2022
15 February 2022
15 January 2022 this version
15 December 2021
15 November 2021
05 November 2021
15 October 2021
15 September 2021
06 September 2021
15 August 2021
31 July 2021
15 July 2021
09 July 2021
30 June 2021
16 June 2021
31 May 2021
01 May 2021
Commenced
30 April 2021
Cited documents 17
Act 17
1. | Criminal Procedure Act, 1977 | 1921 citations |
2. | Local Authorities Act, 1992 | 1321 citations |
3. | Regional Councils Act, 1992 | 388 citations |
4. | Road Traffic and Transport Act, 1999 | 314 citations |
5. | Immigration Control Act, 1993 | 244 citations |
6. | Police Act, 1990 | 238 citations |
7. | Abuse of Dependence-Producing Substances and Rehabilitation Centres Act, 1971 | 190 citations |
8. | Medicines and Related Substances Control Act, 2003 | 148 citations |
9. | Correctional Service Act, 2012 | 115 citations |
10. | Liquor Act, 1998 | 103 citations |