The Namibian newspaper said a tour of the shopping centre found four shops with their doors shut and notices informing customers that they would only reopen later in the year. Several other shops were also closed, but without notices.

The newspaper said the shops were owned by Chinese nationals who travelled home over the festive season but were unable to return following the travel ban the Chinese government imposed as it battles to contain the virus.

On Monday, China’s ambassador to Namibia's neighbour South Africa, Lin Songtian, told reporters he was confident about local professionals’ competency to deal with a potential coronavirus outbreak. 

China’s envoy to Zimbabwe Guo Shaochun said on Tuesday Beijing had requested that Chinese nationals coming to the southern African country cooperate with quarantine measures at ports of entry.

"We have called on the local Chinese communities and Chinese businesses and institutions to remind their members and employees who have returned to China for holidays to raise the awareness of prevention,” the state Herald newspaper quoted Guo as saying.

“Those who have returned to the most affected regions in China, such as Hubei Province, are advised to hold off coming back to Zimbabwe until the situation eases, to reduce the risk of bringing the virus to Zimbabwe."

Many Chinese and Zimbabwean business people travel regularly between Harare and Beijing. Thousands of Zimbabwean students are also studying at numerous institutions in China.

African News Agency (ANA)