ZANZIBAR, Tanzania
The First Vice President of Zanzibar Island, Seif Sharif Hamad (pictured), is reported to have contracted Corona Virus and is admitted at Mnazi Mmoja hospital since last Friday.
According to press release issued by his party, Alliance for Change and Transparency (ACT-Wazalendo) today, the hospital doctors have confirmed that the 1st Vice President, his wife Awena and some of his close aides have tested positive for covid-19.
Zanzibar Island, is the main island in the Tanzanian archipelago of Zanzibar.
The Zanzibar revolutionary government is led by a president and two vice presidents; the 1st Vice-President being an opposition candidate.
The ACT-Wazalendo Secretary General, Ado Shaibu, asked his party members and the Tanzania citizen to pray for their quick recovery.
"The ACT-Wazalendo would like to inform the members and entire country citizens that the Chairman of the party who doubles as 1st Vice President, his wife Awena and his aides have tested positive for COVID-19 and have been rested at Mnazi Mmoja hospital since Friday." Said the statement.
According to the statement, Hamad (77), his wife and their aides are in stable condition and will remain isolated until they recover.
He is the first high ranking leader to be officially reported to have contracted Corona virus following government directives that the only persons mandated to report COVID-19 patients are the President, Health Minister, the Health Secretary and government spokesperson.
Tanzania’s government stopped reporting cases of COVID-19 in May, when it had 509 infections and 21 deaths.
The country's president, John Magufuli said there was no need to report cases or take precautions against the virus because God had protected Tanzania from it.
Magufuli has also warned his health ministry against rushing to adopt COVID-19 vaccines, suggesting the vaccines may not be safe or effective.
In his speech last Wednesday in Western Tanzania, Magufuli expressed doubt about vaccines produced by Western countries.
"If the white man was able to come up with vaccinations, then vaccinations for AIDS would have been brought, tuberculosis would be a thing of the past, vaccines for malaria and cancer would have been found,” said the president.
He directed the Ministry of Health to adopt a vaccine only after it is certified by Tanzanian experts.
He said Tanzanians must not be used as guinea pigs in vaccine trials. - Africa
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