Tanzania president forms covid-19 advisory committee as she warns of third wave

DODOMA, Tanzania

President of Tanzania, Samia Hassan on Sunday, April 18, 2021 said she has formed a committee of experts that will advise her on the status of Covid-19 in the country and the necessary steps to take.

She called on religious leaders to preach on the disease to worshippers in order for them to take precaution measures as advised by health experts including hand washing with soap and running water, using sanitizers, maintaining social distancing and use of face masks.

President Hassan made the statement in Dodoma during a national conference organized by religious leaders to remember former President John Magufuli and pray for the new leaders.

Speaking during the event, she said the disease has been evolving into different phases with the virus changing its variants.

"As I promised during the swearing in of the Permanent Secretaries and their deputies, I have already formed a committee. I’m expecting to meet its members and representatives of the ministry of Health and those from the ministry of Finance and Planning in the near future in order to establish the way forward,” she said.

She asked clerics to take the agenda to worshipers, saying though the magnitude of the disease isn’t that huge it is inappropriate to completely dismiss its presence in the country.

"Let me promise that I will be frequently providing updates on the disease from the committee in order to save the country from losing significant manpower and protect those in danger of contracting the disease,” she said.

Former Tanzania President, the late John Magufuli denied the existence of Coronavirus in the entire country, though doctors had frequently reported several cases of patients with breathing problems.

The government censored journalists when reporting about Coronavirus. Some had been hounded according to Amnesty international. 

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in its travel warning on Tanzania early this year, said the country's level of COVID-19 is "very high." It gave no details but urged against all travel to the East African nation.

Tanzania's government had been widely criticized for its approach to the pandemic

It had not updated its number of coronavirus infections since April 2020 that was 509.

President Magufuli warned the country’s health ministry against rushing into embracing the Covid-19 vaccines promoted by foreign companies and countries.

He casted doubt on the global urge to develop the Covid-19 vaccine claiming that little has been done to help cure other diseases like tuberculosis, HIV-Aids, malaria among other infections.

"You should stand firm. Vaccinations are dangerous. If the white man was able to come up with vaccinations, he should have found a vaccination for HIV-Aids by now; he would have found a vaccination of tuberculosis by now; he would have found a vaccination for malaria by now; he would have found a vaccination for cancer by now,” he said.

"The Health ministry must know that not every vaccination is meaningful to our nation. Tanzanians must be mindful so that we are not used for trials of some doubtful vaccinations which can have serious repercussions on our health,” he added.