Walvis Bay Rooikop Airport has been closed to scheduled commercial passenger traffic for a week, after two residents tested positive for the coronavirus, putting the coastal city back into strict lockdown mode, according to a NOTAM.

The measure is effective from May 30 through to June 8 with medical evacuations, humanitarian and cargo flights, and repatriation charters exempted.

On May 29, Air Namibia (Windhoek International) announced the immediate suspension of its Windhoek Eros to Walvis Bay route in compliance with government regulations following the two coronavirus cases. It added that repatriation flights would take place from the United Kingdom and Germany on June 1 and 2.

A third Walvis Bay resident subsequently tested positive for coronavirus, bringing total infections in Namibia to 24 with no deaths, according to World Health Organisation figures.

Namibian president Hage Geingob told the media during a briefing on May 28 that Walvis Bay would be under total lockdown after the new infections, while all other regions from June 1 would go from stage two lockdown to the less restrictive stage three until June 29. Stage three involves the relaxation of some regulations and allows gatherings of over 50 people. Namibia's borders remain closed except for the cross-border transportation of goods, repatriation flights, and other exceptional travel.

"Due to recent developments, the Walvis Bay local authority area will revert to stage one with seven days and will remain effective until midnight June 8, 2020. This strict but necessary restriction on the movement of people is needed to ascertain the extent of possible spread of the disease," Xinhua quotes Geingob as saying.

Other airports in the country will still allow domestic flights as scheduled and for emergency evacuations.

Air Namibia said it had resumed domestic flights from May 6 following the move to stage two restrictions, although regional and international flights remain suspended.

"Passengers can now fly between Eros and Ondangwa, Rundu, Mpacha, Luderitz, Oranjemund, and Walvis Bay. During this period of stage two effective May 6, 2020, flights to Luderitz and Oranjemund will operate on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday instead of Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday," the carrier said last month.