![]() The latter is a popular rapper, Mwana FA, according to the BBC. This may also be the reason for the news conference held at the regional commissioner’s office in Arusha on March 18, where Mwalimu put Mwambapa on a loudspeaker for her to confirm improvement, while she also apologized “for having been the first victim of the virus in the country.”Īs of March 19, a total of six cases are confirmed in Tanzania, of which details are known for a 24-year-old German national in Zanzibar, a 61-year-old American in Dar es Salaam, and two Tanzanians who had traveled respectively to Denmark and France, and South Africa. #covid-19 Let's not panic. Yet, in order to protect yourself from coronavirus, it is important to comply with experts’ instructions. Ili kujikinga na maambukizi ya Virusi ya Corona, ni muhimu kuzingatia Maelekezo ya Wataalam. The health minister tweeted an urgent message to the public “not to panic”: Yet, citizens are still struggling to wade through an onslaught of communication around the virus. Tanzania joins several African nations that have taken a wide range of strong actions to slow the spread of the disease, through travel restrictions and bans, tracing contacts, handwashing and social distancing recommendations. She fell ill after arrival and currently remains in isolation in Arusha. The index case is 46-year-old Tanzanian, Isabel Mwambapa, who traveled to Belgium, Sweden, Denmark and Germany, before returning to Tanzania via Rwanda Air on March 15. Tanzania braces for COVID-19 as the nation confirmed its first patient on March 16, 2020, with five subsequent cases. Tanzania braces itself as COVID-19 may require major lifestyle changes in society. Photo by Pernille Bærendtsen, used with permission.Ĭheck out Global Voices’ special coverage of the global impact of COVID-19. Both countries have presidential elections this year, Burundi in May and Tanzania in October.Street scene in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, a major transport hub. Neighbouring Burundi has also allowed life to proceed as normal. Some experts have questioned the approach of lockdowns in Africa, where millions of urban poor live hand to mouth, but instead call for solutions such as mass testing or government support to the vulnerable. The lives of our people cannot be repaired but the economy can! Lockdown or get locked out!” the chairman of the opposition party Chadema, Freeman Mbowe, posted on Twitter on Saturday. “No lockdown because he (Magufuli) wants to save the economy and his flagship infrastructure projects. Miriam John, who sells shoes, said some of her customers did not want to wash their hands but she has “no option because I need their money.”īut opposition leaders say the country needs to take more action to avoid potential disaster. Life has to go on and God will protect us,” said Anna John, a food vendor in the city. “I don’t pray for lockdown in Tanzania because we may escape coronavirus and die from hunger at home. Like many poor people across the continent - even in countries which are trying to impose lockdowns - staying at home would be a grim option for many Tanzanians. The government has banned buses from taking more passengers than the number of seats they contain, but this has only created bigger crowds during rush hour. ![]() My family needs something to eat and this is where I earn my daily bread,” said Masoud. “I really fear coronavirus disease and it is risky here but there is no way I can avoid coming. He and other so-called “boda-boda” drivers park their bikes in a crowded area thronged by petty traders and pedestrians. The challenge is that I have only one helmet for passengers, who share it,” said Hemedi Masoud, a motorcycle taxi operator. “What I normally do is to ensure my passenger washes their hands before getting on the motorcycle. On the streets of the commercial capital Dar es Salaam, citizens say they fear the virus and are doing what they can to avoid it while continuing to make ends meet. Tourism is the country’s top foreign-exchange earner. The country’s economy has already been hard hit as tourists who flock to see its wildlife and beaches, have stopped coming. “Coronavirus should not be a reason to destroy our economy at all.” Farmers should utilise the ongoing rains effectively, industrial owners should continue producing and I don’t expect any development project to stop,” he said. Coronavirus is not and should not be a reason for us not working. “Let us continue working hard to build our nation. However, Magufuli has encouraged Tanzanians to continue working as usual, while encouraging them to avoid “unnecessary gatherings”. Kabwe has proposed a partial lockdown of Dar es Salaam, Arusha, Mwanza and the capital Dodoma, and also a total lockdown of the tourist hotspot and semi-autonomous island, Zanzibar.
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