Two Weeks with Corona

The past two weeks have easily felt like two years. I wonder if the hours and days of being home alone make the time seem to stretch out indefinitely. Or perhaps it's the rapid changes and daily updates in the news that make it seem like March 14th was so long ago.

Two weeks ago we had our first confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Namibia, two Romanian tourists who had brought it in from outside. The government quickly moved up the mid-term break so schools would be closed for a month. All large group events were cancelled for the next three weeks. Stores and malls had employees greeting customers at the door with spray bottles of hand sanitizer. Borders were closed to people coming from high risk countries. It was basic prevention to keep this thing from spreading.

There were mixed opinions from the public. Some seemed overly fearful and anxious and bought the stores out of hand sanitizer, face masks, plastic gloves and liquid soap. Others didn't understand what the big deal was and carried on life as usual.

But things escalated quickly. Every few days you would hear about a new case popping up. So they closed down all the borders, except to returning Namibian citizens (who spent 2 weeks in quarantine) and importing goods. They heightened the restrictions prohibiting groups of more than 50 people. Yet still many continued normal life, hanging out at bars and shabeens.

So this past week the government declared a lockdown over the capital city and coastal region for the next 3 weeks. Parliament is closed, along with all non-essential stores. Only essential employees are allowed to work, and only up to 10 people. Everyone is to stay at home, only going out for food or health care.

There were, again, mixed responses from the public. Many people went to the shops and panic bought everything they could, stocking up enough supplies for probably the next 2 years. Others listened to the announcement and heard "3 week vacation" so they packed up and went back to their villages or farms, carrying whatever infection they don't know they have with them.

The official lockdown began today. We are currently up to 8 confirmed cases, but still no local transmission that I have heard. But we are still within that 2 week incubation period, which means, based on the experiences of other nations, our numbers could begin skyrocketing any day now. We hope and pray that these early preventative measures will have lowered the curve enough that our health care system can somehow manage.

From the church side, as in most places in the world, churches here have taken to the internet to stream services on Sunday mornings. Small groups are frantically trying to figure out how to do video conferencing. And many false prophets continue to pass around false information (e.g., that only non-believers will get the virus; that this is the end of the world; etc.).

I continue to be astonished by how many faithful Christians give in to fear and anxiety. Thus my message continues to be one of courage and boldness and hope. Times like these present great opportunities for Christians. We shouldn't be cancelling ministry to others just because we can't be with them physically. We shouldn't hole ourselves up inside our homes, build high the walls, and let the world fend for themselves. No! More than ever this is the time to courageously engage with the world, to boldly share the hope within us, to creatively share God's love in practical ways. "Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or dismayed. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go" (Josh 1:9).

COVID-19 Update

COVID-19 has officially come to Namibia. Yesterday two cases were confirmed in Romanian tourists who had arrived on Wednesday. They had a few days of interaction with people, but it's impossible to know how far it has spread since then. All schools, public and private, will be closed for the next month. The Independence and Presidential Inauguration celebration planned for next weekend has been cancelled, and all major gatherings will be suspended for the next 30 days (though they didn't define 'major'). They have also suspended inbound and outbound flights for the next 30 days. I know these kind of precautions have been going on all around the world, but yesterday was when it finally hit here.

To make matters worse, the World Health Organization considers Namibia in the category of least prepared to deal with this kind of epidemic. Self-quarantine is virtually impossible in communities where families live with sometimes 10 people in a one-room shack. And those shacks are packed together like tetris cubes. The most vulnerable are the elderly and those with a low immune system already, and Namibia has a huge number of HIV/AIDS cases, which is itself an immune system deficiency. And on top of that, only the upper class can afford the best quality health care if it comes to that.

Stores quickly sold out of
hand sanitizer

This situation could also have a devastating effect on our already-hurting economy. Travel restrictions will impact our tourism industry, which is the second largest industry in the country. Any one who is not a salaried employee will have no source of income with all the business closures and panic (e.g., domestic workers, gardeners, day laborers, etc.). We import most of our food and goods, so closed borders could lead to empty shelves in the stores. The effects of this outbreak could be far reaching.

But despite the potential for doom-and-gloom, we have a great hope in Jesus Christ. And that's what the church has to offer the world during this time of intense fear and panic. This coronavirus is only a symptom of a much bigger problem, that is, the reality that we live in a world affected by Sin. Not only is the creation broken, but each one of us has a sin-sick heart (Jer 17:9). We need more than a doctor; we need a Savior! So even in the midst of a global heath and economy crisis, those who trust in Christ can have rest and peace.

So please pray for us in Namibia. Pray that God would curb the spread of this virus and protect the lives of our vulnerable people. Pray that people would not be overcome by fear and anxiety and irrational thinking. And pray that this global pandemic would cause more and more people to find their hope in Christ.