By Our Staff Writer, GEITA Tanzania
The President of Tanzania, John Magufuli has today dismissed Coronavirus test kits used in Tanzania were faulty, because he said they had returned positive results on samples taken from a goat and a pawpaw.
Magufuli who urged country's medical authorities to promote the use of natural remedies to fight the disease, shunting science aside and discourage use of imported face masks for risk of contamination, said the testing kits had “technical errors”.
Magufuli who urged country's medical authorities to promote the use of natural remedies to fight the disease, shunting science aside and discourage use of imported face masks for risk of contamination, said the testing kits had “technical errors”.
The COVID-19 testing kits had been imported from abroad, Magufuli said during an event in Geita region in the north west of Tanzania.
The president said he had instructed Tanzanian security forces in collaboration with newly appointed Permanent Secretary of Health to check the quality of the kits.
"In checking the authenticity of the kits we had randomly obtained several non-human samples, including from a pawpaw, a goat and a sheep, but had assigned them human names, sex and ages." Said Magufuli.
"In checking the authenticity of the kits we had randomly obtained several non-human samples, including from a pawpaw, a goat and a sheep, but had assigned them human names, sex and ages." Said Magufuli.
He said the samples were then submitted to Tanzania’s laboratory to test for the coronavirus, with the lab technicians left deliberately unaware of their origins.
Samples from the pawpaw and the goat tested positive for COVID-19, the president said, adding this meant it was likely that some people were being tested positive when in fact they were not infected by the coronavirus.
“There is something happening. I said before we should not accept that every aid is meant to be good for this nation,” Magufuli said, adding the kits should be investigated.
As of Sunday, Tanzania had no updated record of new cases for past four days apart from the 480 cases of COVID-19 and 16 deaths unlike most other African countries that give updates in a daily basis.
COVID-19 infections and fatalities reported across Africa have been relatively low compared with the United States, parts of Asia and Europe may be because of extremely low levels of testing, with rates of only around 500 per million people.
Ever since the virus found its way into the continent, most African countries have imposed strict measures such as banning public gatherings including closing down churches and mosques to contain the virus.
However, Tanzania’s president, who is a Christian, has allowed all places of worship to remain open in the country despite the government at same time promoting physical distancing.
Tanzania is set to hold general elections later this year to elect the president and the National Assembly, and Magufuli is likely to be the nominee again for the ruling party Chama Cha Mapinduzi. However, his handling of the pandemic might only end up creating a window of opportunity for the opposition even though they have never won an election before. - Africa
Ever since the virus found its way into the continent, most African countries have imposed strict measures such as banning public gatherings including closing down churches and mosques to contain the virus.
However, Tanzania’s president, who is a Christian, has allowed all places of worship to remain open in the country despite the government at same time promoting physical distancing.
Tanzania is set to hold general elections later this year to elect the president and the National Assembly, and Magufuli is likely to be the nominee again for the ruling party Chama Cha Mapinduzi. However, his handling of the pandemic might only end up creating a window of opportunity for the opposition even though they have never won an election before. - Africa
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