//Kharas Governor, Aletha Frederick on Sunday visited the family of an elderly woman who died of COVID-19 at Berseba. The woman died Sunday morning in Keetmanshoop, making her death the first COVID-19-related death to be recorded in the region. In an interview with NAMPA, the Governor said her visit to the village was to sensitise the community on COVID-19 and also to comfort the deceased’s family. Frederick, who was wearing a mask and who observed social distancing, urged the inhabitants of the region to adhere to the health protocols and the state of emergency regulations to help curb the spread of the virus as cases continue to rise in the region. She emphasised that the virus cannot move from one place to another but is spread by people, adding that people should refrain from unnecessary travels. “I have also learned that people are hiding, they do not want to come out, which is very wrong so I encourage them to have the courage to come out if they have learned that they were in contact with someone that tested positive for the virus as it is good for their own health,” she stressed. Frederick further said the fight to curb the virus is not only the government’s fight, but the responsibility of all inhabitants of the region. “We have an invisible enemy among us, we must not think that to contain the spread of the virus is the responsibility of the front-liners like the nurses and police, no, it is the responsibility of everyone, even those at grassroots level, we need to fight together,” she said. Further, the Governor said the region faces shortages of quarantine and isolation centres or rooms, calling on the private sector to come on board and meet the government halfway in acquiring the equipment needed in the fight against COVID-19. “Please as inhabitants let us adhere to the health protocols so we do not find ourselves with many cases and we have no places to take these people. My call is to the private sector to help the government, they must come on board and assist us where they can, government as a sole institution will not be able to sustain these facilities and equipment,” added Frederick. On Sunday health officials provided counselling to the deceased’s family and her house and the Berseba clinic was disinfected, to remain closed for a period of 48 hours. The officials have so far established 100 contacts at the village. //Kharas has close to 90 confirmed COVID-19 cases. -NAMPA